EMMA
by melicitysmoak
Summary: Dumbfounded, Oliver did not know how to react or respond to the shocking revelation. The girl he'd loved all these years (the same one that had shattered his heart) was the mother of his little girl. [Olicity AU]
1. Chapter 1: The Revelation

**EMMA**

 **Chapter 1: The Revelation**

* * *

 **A/N: This is what happens when I am home alone and sick and watching a Hallmark movie in YouTube that I do not know the title of. I hope it's any good. The story is basically based on the plot of that Hallmark movie, but I tweaked it several ways to suit an angsty fic with an Olicity endgame. It is in no way connected to Austen's classic "Emma." If you don't mind reading extended angst that might make you cry, then this is worth a try. Thanks!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow or its characters. I only wish I did.**

* * *

It had been a really long day, and yet Oliver considered that an understatement. Getting ready for Emma's seventh birthday party had started long before the sun had risen; in fact, his preparations went way back to a month before. He had wanted it to be her best birthday yet, and he had gone all out to make sure of it - from her favorite kind of cake that he baked, to the dress that she had worn, the guests she had wanted to invite, the outdoor games she had insisted on playing with her friends, to the decorations of Disney princesses that he knew she adored. For Oliver, his little girl deserved no less.

They had come a long way - he and Emma. She wasn't his daughter, but he had learned to love her just like any real father usually loved his own flesh and blood. Five years. He never thought they'd make it that far.

Truth be told, he had been the most skeptical of Moira's critics. When he had found out seven years ago that his mother had adopted a newborn baby girl, he had thought that she was going crazy. He had thought that caring for an infant that had been put up for adoption was her way of coping with grief, rejection, and loneliness after a complicated divorce due to his father's womanizing ways. Thea had been more understanding, willing to give their mother a chance to give love even if she had been deprived of it for the majority of her married life with Robert Queen.

He had been overseas at the time - having volunteered with the Peace Corps in eastern Africa in a desperate attempt to run away from his own heartbreak - and he had regretted not having seen for himself how deliriously happy his mother had been for two whole years because of little Emma, as Thea had often kept him posted.

He had never thought the day would come when his heart would be won over by this adorable little child that he had been given the legal right to take care of. He never thought the day would come when he would come to accept her as a Queen in every sense of the name. But the day had come, and though Oliver couldn't exactly pinpoint which day it was that he had realized how much he already loved and cherished Emma, he knew without the shadow of a doubt that Emma had become the apple of his eye, of course, other than his younger sister Thea - that is, other than Thea and the love of his life.

* * *

Felicity Smoak. He'd never spoken her name in seven years. Only in his dreams. He had always preferred it that way. Painful memories of the last time he'd seen her lingered in his mind like a shard of glass permanently embedded in his hopelessly broken, bleeding heart.

She had come home from Boston in the Fall of what was supposed to be her junior year at MIT, and he had been excited to see his girlfriend again after she had opted not to come home for the summer for some strange reason that she wouldn't elaborate about. His excitement had quickly dissipated the moment he'd laid eyes on her - her and her small but already visible baby bump. He could not believe that she had cheated on him. He had given her one confused glare of disbelief and distrust before bolting out of the house and getting impossibly drunk for the next two days. By the time he had sobered up and mustered the courage to hear her out, she had left Starling Ranch never to return. Felicity had disappeared, and she had taken his heart with her to who-knows-where. Perhaps it was why he hadn't been able to love another like he had loved her.

Except Emma. Oliver had not expected how a little girl could teach him to love again. Unconditionally. Selflessly. Sacrificially. He did not have to take care of her. He did not have to take the responsibility to look after her welfare. When Moira had become seriously ill, she had asked him if he could be little Emma's legal guardian when the time came. Thea had been too young for that kind of responsibility and was set to leave for college at the time, so Moira was desperate to find someone she trusted to be Emma's legal guardian. Still, Oliver could have refused, and his mother had made it clear that he was under no obligation to do so. He could have turned down the opportunity, but he didn't. He had been volunteering to help strangers in a foreign land. Why would he not at least try to help a little child, who was technically his own half-sister now, and grant his mother's dying request?

Now, five years later, Oliver did not regret taking responsibility for the little girl. If he were placed in the same predicament again, he wouldn't hesitate to do it all again in a heartbeat. Emma. There was just something special about her. Something that reminded him of Felicity. Emma wasn't blonde like her, but Emma's eyes were as blue as he remembered Felicity's, and Emma's laughter was just as cheerful and contagious as hers. Emma even had the same tendency to babble away when nervous or stressed. There have been a few times (more than Oliver was willing to admit) that he had chased away such thoughts because they reminded him of the pain of loss and separation.

* * *

The very next day, however, he could no longer deny the possibility. Jean Loring, Moira Queen's lawyer and good friend, came to Starling Ranch to see him and Thea. Ms. Loring handed Oliver a manila folder full of files on Emma. Apparently, his mother had specifically instructed her lawyer to hand it to them on Emma's 7th birthday. In the folder was a letter penned by Moira Queen herself, addressed to Oliver.

In the letter, Moira confessed to Oliver that she had always known who Emma's biological mother was. She further identified said mother as none other than Felicity Smoak. She also wrote that she had one final request to ask of him - one that she knew would be the hardest thing she had ever asked him to do ever - and that was for him to give Emma the choice whether or not she wanted to get to know her mother. The letter ended with information about where Felicity had been spotted last since she disappeared, which was Central City.

Dumbfounded, Oliver did not know how to react or respond to the shocking revelation. The girl he'd loved all these years (and the one that shattered his heart) was the mother of his little girl.

Jean Loring left after assuring the Queen siblings that she was willing to help them track down Felicity Smoak; they just needed to let her know.

That night, Oliver went upstairs to check on Emma one last time before retiring for the night. He kissed her forehead tenderly and whispered, "Whatever you decide, I love you, Ems."

* * *

 **A/N: Anyone interested in the rest of this fic? What do you think?**


	2. Chapter 2: Posthumous Confession

**EMMA**

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

 **A/N: I'm excited to share this with you and find out what you think. :-)**

* * *

 _Dearest Oliver,_

 _I have always loved writing letters, almost as much as I have loved receiving them. As I write this, though, I must say that for the first time in my life, I am quite unsure whether or not writing down what I have to tell you is the right thing to do. But I do not have much time. My life has become too short for me to keep secrets from the people I love the most. I fear that if I do not do this before my time runs out, I might regret it until the afterlife. And so, please bear with the last confession of a dying woman who wants no less than the happiness of those she loves most._

 _First of all, I just want you to know how grateful I am that you have accepted legal guardianship of Emma. I can't wait for you to come home soon. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I know that this was not an easy decision to make. You have a life of your own, and you can choose to live it the way you deem best, and yet you have decided to raise a child who is not your own while running the ranch and looking after your sister. This is a testament to how selfless and loving you are. I am so proud of the man that you have become, Oliver. I only wish I had more time to spend with you and Thea. I love you both so dearly._

 _What I have to say will most certainly be difficult to deal with, but as the saying goes, truth sets us all free. Resent me if you must, hate me even, but promise me that you will never feel that way towards Emma. Ever. None of what I will tell you is her fault, and she deserves to live a beautiful life ahead of her despite everything. By the time you read this, I would have been long gone, but promise me that you will make sure sweet little Emma will grow up happy and well, despite everything._

 _Because, Emma is not just my adopted daughter. She is Felicity's daughter. Your Felicity's little girl._

 _The day she left the ranch in tears, I followed her, driving the outskirts of town for hours until she ended up in a halfway house for girls who are in trouble. The next day, I went back there to speak with her, to try to convince her to come home. But the couple that ran the house, a Rev. Walter Steele and his wife, politely denied my request to see her, saying that she specifically told them that she did not want to see any visitors. She had told them that she had no family and no place to go. I explained to the Steeles that Felicity has been like a daughter to me, especially since the time her mother Donna, my very best friend and confidante, had passed away. But because I wasn't really family, I could not persuade them to let me see her. After a couple more attempts, I decided it was best that I respect her wishes._

 _For weeks, I contemplated what to do. I imagined Felicity was anxious and afraid, confused, and hurting. My heart went out to her. I wanted us to be there for her, yet she wanted to be left alone, and there was hardly anything I could think to do. I didn't know how to tell you all this, and by the time I had made up my mind to tell you that I knew about her whereabouts, you'd left for the Peace Corps without saying goodbye. I understand completely why you did that, and I hadn't taken offense. You were hurting just as much. I wanted to be there for you, too, but I realize now that you needed the time and space just like she did._

 _A few months later, I tried to visit Felicity again at the Steele's, only to find out that she had already given birth. The baby was there, but she was gone. The Steeles had promised her that they would not divulge her whereabouts to anyone who would ask about her. The only thing that they were at liberty to say was that she had decided to put up her baby girl for adoption and that she wanted no one to come looking for her. The moment I laid eyes on Emma (Felicity had given her that name), I just knew. I knew that Donna would have wanted her grandchild to grow up with family, with us. I just couldn't turn my back on my friend, on Felicity (even if she wanted nothing to do with any of us), and on her little girl._

 _I understood a little about how adoption worked, and I knew that in most cases anonymity is maintained between the child's biological mother and the adoptive parent or parents, but I pleaded with the Steeles. They were gracious people, and they considered it more advantageous for Emma to be raised by people who would truly care for her and love her despite the circumstances surrounding her conception and birth. I asked Jean Loring to get in touch with them, and everything was processed in no time. In just barely a month's time, baby Emma arrived at Starling Ranch with me as his legally adoptive parent._

 _By the time you read this, Emma would be seven. I asked Jean to give this to you at this time because I believe that Emma would start being curious and inquisitive as to why she is being raised by a step-brother who is old enough to be her father or uncle. She'd be old enough to learn and understand about her biological mother. No matter how painful and difficult, Emma deserves to know who her real mother is. It does not have to be now, but she has to know some time, before she hits puberty and starts to question who she is and resent where she'd come from. I will leave it up to you to decide when the proper time is to tell her, but please leave it up to her to decide whether or not she wants to get to know her mother. She has the right to do so. If and when she expresses the desire to find Felicity and try to connect with her, please… please do not deny her the chance._

 _Oliver, I know that what I am asking of you is something that will bring up past hurts and heartache. Whatever it was that happened between you and Felicity, it was all in the past, and Emma had done nothing wrong. I know that it is not my place to impose this on you, not even as your mother, so I implore you to just consider what is best for_ _your_ _little girl. If connecting with her real mother will make her stronger and help ground her identity, then please do not deprive her of that opportunity. I know you, my beautiful boy. I know how deeply you are capable of loving. I see that in the way you care for your sister, and in the way you loved Felicity with all your heart and soul. And though I have no way of seeing how your relationship with Emma will turn out eventually, I have no doubt that you will love her just as much. I trust you will know what to do. I leave it to you to tell your sister everything._

 _All my love,_

 _Mom_

* * *

Oliver folded his mother's letter in his hands as he sat on his favorite arm chair on the porch. He had read it so many times he'd lost count. Yet still, he hadn't told Emma anything. For months, he couldn't bring himself to, couldn't find the words, or the perfect timing.

"When are you planning to tell her?" Thea asked, interrupting his musings, as she sat on the cushioned swing nearby.

Oliver sighed but kept silent. He looked up, staring at Emma in the distance. A small smile formed on his lips at the sight of his little girl, looking more like her real mother as each day passed. John Diggle had assured him that she was big enough to ride, and so there she was inside the corral, enjoying her morning horseback and riding lesson.

Thea took a sip of her freshly brewed coffee. "She asked me again this morning, Ollie. She's wondering why she has an older brother and sister for parents when all her friends at school have 'normal' moms and dads."

He looked down at his hands, still clutching the wrinkled piece of paper. "Soon." That was all he could say.


	3. Chapter 3: Your Mother

**Emma**

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

Emma sat beside him on the steps of the porch, deep in thought.

A minute or two must have passed already since Oliver had finished telling her that she'd been adopted into the Queen family when she was a newborn baby. It hadn't been difficult to explain that she'd been raised as Moira's own child until she was about two years old, and that he had become her guardian since their mother died. They had pictures of Moira and her in the house, so she'd known what he was talking about even if she barely had memories of those times. Emma had only spoken once during his lengthy speech - which was quite uncharacteristic of his darling little girl - and it was only to ask him what a legal guardian was. What had been harder to talk about was the part when he had to tell her that her real birth mother was alive somewhere. Too many implications accompanied that fact.

Oliver waited with baited breath for Emma's reaction. What he feared was not that she might feel bad and cry - for he always hated seeing the usual sunshine on her face replaced by shadows of sadness. What he feared more was that she might resent him and Thea for telling her the truth about her background only now. What he feared most was that she might ask him to find her mother and want to get to know her. Too many repercussions would accompany those possible responses.

"Do you think she cared about me at all?" Emma finally asked.

"Who? Mom?" Oliver asked, his brow crinkled. He wanted to be sure he understood which woman she was referring to.

"My _real_ mom," Emma replied. "I mean, she must have had a pretty good reason for giving me up. Aren't mothers supposed to love and take care of their own children? You and Thea take such good care of me, and you're not even my real parents. Why do you think _she_ gave me up?"

Oliver didn't know what to say. When he decided that this was the day he'd tell her the truth, he'd had an inkling that Emma would ask about that. He hoped she wouldn't (but he knew better), because he didn't want to think about the reason or reasons why. That would only lead to him speculating about the only girl he'd ever truly loved.

Truth be told, he had spent many sleepless nights and even more waking moments wondering about his one true love. Why had she given up her own flesh and blood for adoption? Where was she, and was she okay? Why had she not bothered to find out about how her daughter was doing, all these years? The Felicity he'd known since childhood and fell in love with would never have done that. She had always been thoughtful and kind.

His mind had often ventured into more poignant questions, both when he'd been overseas, and even more so when he'd come home. Everything around him screamed Felicity - the ranch, the rolling hills where they used to ride, the woods nearby where they'd had their most intimate conversations, the places in town where they used to hang out with their friends or just the two of them. Everything.

In the last seven years, it had always been hard not to think of her. He had tried to forget, to run away. But his heart had never completely healed. He had thought that it had, when he realized he had learned to love a precious child without expecting anything in return. Loving unconditionally had somehow eased the pain he'd tucked away in the deepest recesses of his heart. But ever since he learned that Felicity was Emma's biological mother, the bittersweet memories and the unanswered questions had begun to resurface. His little girl had become a daily, concrete reminder of what he'd lost, what he'd been missing, and what he'd regretted doing that day he had last seen _her_.

What had gone wrong between them? Why had she cheated on him while she was away? Did she love Emma's father, or was he just a fling, a one-night stand? She had plenty of time to come clean that summer. He would have forgiven her if she had told him the truth. Or would he?

Oliver wouldn't allow himself to dwell on these negative thoughts. No, not when Emma herself - the innocent victim of circumstances - was willing to give Felicity the benefit of the doubt. _"...she must have had a pretty good reason for giving me up."_ That was what Emma had said. This sweet little lady had just learned that her biological mother had given her up for adoption. She could have easily judged her mother for abandoning her; instead she chose to consider why, to consider the possibility that her mother (whom she had never met before) could be a good person with a good reason for making that choice. Emma had more faith in Felicity than he had (shame on him), and that sobered him up. Oliver was proud of his little girl. She had a good heart. Despite the challenges and failures of single parenting as a single guy all these years, he must have done something right after all.

"I don't know, Emma," he replied. "But I think you are right. I knew your mother. We were... very close. She was a good person. She must have had a good reason."

Emma nodded. She then looked up at the starry sky, "Where do you think she is now?"

"I do not know exactly," he answered truthfully. "Why do you ask? Would you like to meet her?"

Emma shrugged, unsure of her answer.

"You can think about what you want to do... or not do. Take your time," he told her. It was actually more for him than for her. They were going on a field trip to Star Labs with the rest of her class that weekend. He wasn't sure whether or not he should track her down in time for their trip. If it were up to him, he wasn't too keen on looking her up. After all, Central City was a huge city, and the chances of randomly running into Felicity there were slim. But, if it was Emma asking, he just knew he'd do it. The mere thought gave him goose bumps.

Emma simply nodded and then scooted closer to him. She linked both her arms with one of his and squeezed tight. "Love you, Ollie."


	4. Chapter 4: The Odds

**Emma**

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

 **A/N: After three chapters, it's time we tell the story from Felicity's POV. Don't you think so?**

 **Okay, so I'm really not technologically savvy. I don't really understand facial recognition programs, but I tried my best to write out what I wanted for this scene. So those of you who do understand, please cut me some slack. ;-) Thanks! I hope you enjoy this one.**

* * *

"Wow… How did you do that?" the little girl asked in wide-eyed wonder.

Felicity had been enjoying talking to the girl for the last twenty minutes or so, and she couldn't help but think that this mini brunette beauty was perhaps the smartest little girl she knew – that is, other than herself, of course. The little girl couldn't be more than seven, but she was asking all the right questions, and Felicity was very much impressed.

"Oh, I didn't do that. The computer did. It's very smart, you know," Felicity answered with a wink.

"Sure, but weren't you the one that programmed it to do that – recognize the faces of people?" the girl asked a second time.

"Yes, I guess you could say that," Felicity replied, chuckling a bit at the compliment given by her most avid fangirl yet. That day, a small group of teachers and kids with their adult chaperons from out of state were scheduled for a tour of the STAR Labs facility in Central City where she'd been working for the last two years now, and her boss, Dr. Harrison Wells, had her stationed at the Computer and IT Exhibit.

Felicity thought that the little girl was absolutely adorable. She was chatty and conversational, and just as inquisitive as she had been at that age (when she had built her first computer with her dad's help). If the little girl had blonde hair and a pair of glasses to match, they would have easily been mistaken as related.

The thought suddenly caused her stomach to turn. It was a good thing that the girl was so engrossed in the facial recognition program at the very center of the exhibition area; otherwise, the girl would have noticed that her bright disposition had suddenly fallen. For a moment there, she was lost in thought, wondering what had become of the baby girl that she'd left at Rev. Steele's, the beautiful child that she had given up for adoption about seven years ago. The only information she had gotten out of the social worker, which she had tracked down a few months after she had signed the papers authorizing the state to proceed with the legalities of finding suitable adoptive parents for the infant, was that another single mother from a well-to-do family somewhere had adopted her baby girl. Her little Emma.

Emma would be seven, Felicity thought. (That would still be her name if her adoptive parents hadn't opted to change it.) Her daughter would be just about the same age and height as this cute, curious little lady, who found her computer program the most fascinating thing in the entire exhibit. Would her own daughter be as fascinated with her genius if circumstances were different? She will never know. Would she ever get a second chance at raising a child, much less parenting one with a loving, respectable man? Maybe, maybe not. Not if anyone interested in her knew her complicated past.

Felicity bit her lip as it quivered slightly, reining in a mixture of emotions and keeping the tears that pooled in her eyes at bay. She couldn't very well cry in front of a young girl or leave her station. Dr. Wells would not like that at all; the man was too serious and stern for his own good.

"Ms. Felicity?" the little girl called out, tapping her wrist gently. That snapped her out of her unhappy thoughts. She must have wondered how the girl knew her first name, but then she remembered she was wearing her STAR Labs lanyard.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Felicity reacted with eyebrows raised.

The little girl's grin morphed into a frown, her little forehead crinkling somewhat. "I asked if we could use the program to find my brother. He told me to stay put in here while he went to the men's room, but he hasn't come back for me. It's been a while, I think. Our tour group has already moved on to the next science exhibit. Star Labs is a really, really huge place! Maybe he got lost somewhere. You do have cameras all over this place, right?"

"Well, yeah. The computer can do that. But we need a picture of your brother. Do you have one in your phone or tablet, maybe?" Felicity asked.

"Oh, no. No, I don't. Have a phone, I mean. Or a tablet. No gadgets with me right now…"

Great. The little girl also speaks in sentence fragments. Felicity was definitely amused by her "mini me."

"My brother is kinda strict about me and my gadgets," the girl explained. "He doesn't let me bring them when we leave the house. He's _concerned_ about me losing them because I tend to be forgetful. Like my older sister Thea."

 _She has a sister named Thea._

Felicity replied, "I'm afraid the program won't work if we can't give the computer an idea of what your older brother looks like. Unless… unless your brother is a very important person who has his pictures floating around on the Internet. Does he have Instagram or Twitter, Facebook maybe? If it's on the Internet, I can find it." She smiled at the little girl confidently, bouncing on the balls of her feet. The gloomy feeling had started to ebb away.

"Oh… That's too bad," the little girl replied, frustration written all over her face. But she rambled on, "My brother isn't really fond of stuff like that. He's rarely on social media. He doesn't have too many friends, you see. Sometimes I think he works too hard and does not have enough fun. He doesn't even have a girlfriend. You know, my Uncle Tommy… my brother's best friend, thinks he's going to grow old alone if he doesn't do something about it soon."

 _Her older brother is single and has a best friend named Tommy._

The girl added, "I don't want that for him. He works really hard at our ranch so that he could take good care of me and Thea. He deserves to be happy."

 _Her older brother was single, had a sister named Thea and a best friend named Tommy, and owned a ranch. What are the odds?_

Felicity honestly didn't know what to make of all that, except that this conversation was starting to make her feel uncomfortable, more so now than before. One minute she was explaining in simple terms about facial recognition software to this little girl; the next minute they were talking about her older brother's love life, or the lack thereof. This little girl sure sounded a lot like her, as her mother used to say. She was so sweet, talking about her brother that way, but there were way too many coincidences for Felicity's liking – coincidences that were starting to dredge up a past that she had buried in her subconscious for far too long.

Felicity ventured to ask, "Where did you say your tour group was from?"

"I haven't said anything about that, but yeah, this is actually a field trip for my school. It's a really small school with just a few teachers, so they asked each of us to have one adult companion each. We've come all the way from Starling. Took us four hours to get here, you know. Starling's a small town right at the heart of the state next to this one. That's where I live, with my older brother and sister. Do you know Starling Town?"

Of course, Felicity knew Starling Town. It used to be her home. She hadn't gone back there in more than seven years, but she hadn't forgotten about it and about the people that lived there. She had just learned to ignore the memories that popped up every once in a while.

Felicity did not have time to overthink all the details from this very unusual and unexpected conversation; she hadn't even made up her mind yet if she was going to excuse herself and walk away, or to ask about the girl's and her brother's names. The next thing she knew, the little girl's attention had been captured by someone behind Felicity near the entrance to the Computer and IT Pavilion.

Waving to someone she recognized, the girl excitedly called out, "Ollie! Over here! I want you to meet someone."

 _Her brother's name was Ollie. What were the odds?_

Felicity pursed her lips and closed her eyes shut. She stood frozen on the spot and didn't bother turning around even when the little girl tugged on her wrist. What was she supposed to do now? She never thought this day would ever come.


	5. Chapter 5: Emma

**Emma**

 **Chapter 5**

* * *

 **A/N: Because she's Felicity Smoak, it doesn't take much for her to figure things out. Here's how she does.**

 **This chapter is told from three POVs. I thought this scene would be best told that way. I know some of you wanted this update already, so without further ado...**

* * *

"Ollie?" Emma's grin quickly turned into a frown. She wondered what had gotten into her older brother. All she had done was call him over and introduce him to the remarkable woman she'd just met.

Emma hoped that he would like her. She happened to think that Ms. Felicity was not only a genius but also a very pretty lady. At some point during their conversation about facial recognition software, they had started talking about her brother, and when she was sharing how much she wanted him to be happy, the thought had suddenly crossed her mind that her loving (yet boring) brother could use an interesting (and attractive) friend. When Emma tugged at Felicity's wrist a second time, she had turned around to meet her brother. And that's when the inexplicable silence had begun.

Emma shifted her gaze from Ollie to Felicity and found that the exact same expression was written all over her face. They both looked like they had seen a ghost or something. Emma would have called it "shock" if she had known exactly what that meant from experience. The little girl did not know what to do or say next. It was a good thing Oliver broke the silence when he did, or Emma would have used her loud voice on both of them.

"Felicity…" Oliver swallowed hard. "Hi." His voice was lower than usual, but reverent and sincere. He couldn't say more just yet.

Felicity let out a deep breath that she realized she'd been holding. Her lips parted as she groped for something to say, but then she closed her mouth, opting to steady her breathing before she spoke. A few seconds later, she softly greeted back, "Hello, Oliver."

After all these years, she didn't think she was still capable of staring into those beautiful blue eyes of his. She had no idea that he was thinking the exact same thing about her.

"How are you?" he asked, looking at her with earnest longing. She wore her hair in a high ponytail and had a pair of dark-rimmed glasses on her face; she even wore a sleeveless blouse and a pencil skirt – a far cry from her signature look of denim jeans and a plaid long-sleeved over a plain-colored tank top, growing up in the ranch together. But to him, she was just as beautiful as she was back then. Her new look suited her smarts.

"Better," she replied with the slightest hesitation. She hoped that he no longer possessed the ability to read her like an open book; otherwise, he'd know that she wasn't exactly being truthful. Despite her best efforts, she had been haunted by her past in the last seven years. She couldn't bear to linger on the half-truth, so she turned her attention away from herself and focused on him. With a half-hearted interest in his well-being, she asked, "And you?"

Oliver blinked, then dropped his gaze. He couldn't look her in the eye as he answered, "We… get by."

A small, unintentional smile formed on his lips as he looked up again. It was more like an attempt to cover up the ache of missing her all these years, especially in the last few months since he'd learned the truth about Emma. But even though they hadn't seen each other in a very long time, he still couldn't lie to her. She had asked how _he_ was doing, but he had told her how _they_ were doing. If he spoke for himself, he'd have to tell her that he had been merely existing ever since the day he'd last seen her and walked away. He'd regretted how that last encounter had gone down. And if Emma hadn't become a part of his life, he would have been utterly miserable. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he still loved Felicity. To him, she had always been the one that got away.

Emma, on the other hand, was a bit confused about what was going on. She didn't know how, but it seemed to her that Ollie and Felicity already knew each other. With her hands on her hips, she asked, "You two know each other?"

Oliver nodded and told her, "Yeah. We _were…_ good friends."

Emma's eyes narrowed a bit more as she tried to recall something. Looking at her brother, "You never mentioned you knew someone named Felicity. I would have remembered. I know all your friends, Ollie. And that's cuz you don't have too many of them."

He let out a soft chuckle to lighten the obvious tension of their situation. His little sister's antics wasn't helping. He didn't know where this conversation was going to lead. What was he supposed to say now? That he never mentioned Felicity because doing so would only break his heart all over again?

Fortunately, Felicity intervened in time. But her intended save did little to make Oliver feel any better. "Oh, I'm sure your brother has enough friends. Maybe there just wasn't the right opportunity to mention someone he wasn't likely to miss. We knew each other, but that was a long time ago."

That couldn't be farther than the truth. If only she knew. Oliver missed her so much. And now that he knew that Emma was hers, he missed her even more. He would have fought her over that remark, whether or not it was an intentional snide remark. But he chose not to. Not in front of his little girl.

Truth be told, Felicity would have taken her words back as soon as she'd said them. She didn't mean to hurt him, but she feared that she might have. She could see it in his eyes, in the way he gritted his teeth, and in the way his thumbs rubbed against his forefingers. After all this time, she could still read him fairly well.

Oliver realized that he had been wrong. He had thought that Central City was too huge for him to run into Felicity Smoak, but he had. And Emma had been instrumental in making that happen. Was that a sign? He hoped not. Clearly, Felicity still resented him. To what extent, he didn't know for certain. What he was certain about was that, one, he was grateful for the chance to see her again, and two, she didn't look happy to see him. Not wanting to prolong the agony for either of them, Oliver decided it was best for them to leave her be.

He told Emma, "Well, I think we've taken up too much of Ms. Smoak's time. I guess it's time to move on to the next exhibit." Turning to Felicity, he said, "It was good to see you, Felicity. Thank you for taking the time to help my little sister learn. She can be a handful sometimes."

"No problem. It was my pleasure," Felicity replied. She smiled down on the little girl, mildly ruffling her hair. Then she looked back up at Oliver and said, "Give my regards to Thea."

"I will."

"And to your mom, too. She must be so proud of this little one," Felicity added, referring to his little sister. She was wondering if Moira Queen had remarried after she had skipped town.

"She was," Oliver answered, "but she… Mom passed away when Emma was two."

 _Emma._ Oliver couldn't believe he had let it slip. This was neither the time nor the place for complicated revelations. Felicity had always been the one with a dysfunctional brain-to-mouth filter, not him. With widened eyes he waited for her to react.

 _Emma._ Felicity couldn't believe her ears. Had Oliver just called his little sister Emma? What was going on here? Her heart skipped a beat as she shifted her gaze from him to the little girl standing between them. There were just too many coincidences for one day, and this one in particular was really impossible to ignore.

"What did you say her name was?" She voiced her thoughts out loud, but her words came out almost like a whisper, as her eyes became glassy with tears.

Oliver just stood there speechless, so the little girl took it upon herself to give her an answer. "Emma. My name is Emma," she said with a cute, toothy smile. She truly liked her name, and she'd always been proud of it.

"That's… That's a beautiful name." Felicity couldn't find it in her heart to say the name. Her daughter's name. How could she forget? As soon as the nurse at the hospital had placed her baby in her arms back then, she knew she wanted her daughter to be called Emma.

"Uhm… you'll have to… excuse me now," she said in between soft sniffles. Her voice trembled, and she was clearly falling apart right in front of them. The poignant encounter was just too much for her to handle. "I… I have to go. Dr. Wells needs me. It was nice to meet you… Emma. Oliver. Enjoy the rest of your tour."

And with that, Felicity turned and walked away to the nearest exit, leaving a confused Emma and a heartbroken Oliver behind.

* * *

 **A/N: Please do not hate me for this. Things won't get better for a while, but I promise they will.**

 **Thank you that you are still reading this. I am also grateful to those who have left comments and reviews. Means a lot!**


	6. Chapter 6: Discoveries

**Emma**

 **Chapter 6**

* * *

 **A/N: This is told entirely from Felicity's POV. It hurt getting into her character's mind and writing this, but I am happy about how it turned out. I hope the bittersweet touches your heart.**

* * *

Felicity stared at Emma's photograph on her computer screen. How could she not have seen it before?

That afternoon at the exhibit, she had spoken with the little girl for just about thirty minutes. She had noticed some similarities in the way that she and Emma talked and thought, but she hadn't really noticed the similarities in their physical attributes. The color of their eyes and the contour of their noses were identical, and so were the shape of their lips and their smile. Emma had inherited almost everything from Felicity's face, but the color of her hair and the way she frowned were unmistakably from the very person that Felicity had tried to delete from her memory in the last seven years.

At the thought, her stomach recoiled. Her brain switched to autopilot, for she had managed to train her mind to change gears whenever a memory surfaced of the guy she regretted trusting once upon a time. Felicity closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, she fixed her gaze on the little girl on the screen.

Her little girl.

It had taken Felicity some time to process what had been so unexpectedly and unintentionally revealed during her encounter with Oliver and Emma. A week had already passed, a week of teary-eyed musings and sudden emotional outbursts whenever she was alone.

At work, Cisco had called her attention about her spacing out three times in the last few days. Caitlyn had asked her the other day if she was okay and told her that if she needed someone to talk to, she could come to her. If Ray had noticed her acting weirdly in the past week, he hadn't said anything. Not yet, at least. Ray had always been the understanding and I'll-give-you-the-space-you-need kind of guy, not to mention patient. If she wasn't laden with the burdens of the past, she would have already moved on with her life with him.

But how could she move on with her life? How could she put the past behind her, when for the last seven years she had wondered from time to time where her child was? Had Emma been given a decent home? Was the family that adopted Emma treating her right?

She had tried to move on, but no matter how hard she tried, she was still stuck. It was especially difficult during holidays. It hurt whenever she chanced upon a mother and child playing in the park, or making a scene at the grocery, or blowing kisses at the airport or at the mall. There had been many times when she regretted giving her daughter up for adoption, second-guessing herself if she had indeed made the right decision. She had compared herself with her mother Donna, who hadn't given up on raising her when her father had walked out on them not long after her seventh birthday. Donna had made plenty of sacrifices to make both ends meet, just so that she could give Felicity a better chance at life. Needless to say, Felicity had blamed herself for being selfish, more times than she could count. However, the other voice in her head had always won. _"What were you supposed to do? You were young and confused and hurt and broken. You wouldn't have been able to raise her on your own and guide her on the right path in that condition."_ Loving Emma had meant letting go. There was no choice to make.

The inward battle in her mind had only intensified since last week's incident. And this time, Felicity hadn't been able to shake it off. Her thoughts constantly drifted to the little girl's pretty face and sunny disposition. Felicity wanted to know more about how her daughter had turned out the way she did, to know how she was doing at the moment. Thirty minutes was not enough to know for sure that Emma was really doing fine. After a couple of days of contemplating on whether or not she should look into Emma's history, this morning she had decided to go for it. A little sleuthing here, and a little hacking there couldn't hurt, she had thought, especially when she had the necessary skill set for it.

Felicity was relieved and satisfied with what she had found so far. She found civil registry records and legal documents. She learned that Moira Dearden Queen had kept her ex-husband's surname after the divorce. Moira had also kept the given first name of the child that she adopted and petitioned the judge to include in the adoption papers that Emma's middle name be Smoak, and her surname be Queen.

Felicity gasped, overwhelmed by the discovery. Moira had visited the half-way house quite a few times when she had lived there, asking to see her, but she had refused, telling the Steeles that she didn't want to see anyone, not even people who claimed to be family. She should have known that Moira would not give up that easily. Her mother's best friend had always been persistent about the things that mattered and the things she wanted. Felicity knew that Moira genuinely cared, having treated her like a daughter, especially after her father had abandoned her and Donna, and even more so when she and Oliver had gotten together in high school. Felicity had been relieved when Moira stopped coming, but she hadn't considered the possibility that Moira would return eventually and be interested in adopting Emma. On hindsight, she realized it was something that Moira Queen would do to honor Donna's memory. Felicity didn't like that the child she had given up had ended up with the man she had tried to forget all these years; nevertheless, she couldn't bring herself to resent Moira for what she had done.

 _Emma Smoak Queen._ Her daughter's name. She whispered it unknowingly as she read through the digital files, and it gave her goosebumps.

There was a time in her life when she had daydreamed about what it would be like if she and Oliver did end up married and started a family of their own. She'd known that they were too young to be thinking about those things, but because she loved him so much and had thought of sharing the rest of her life with no one but him, she had allowed herself to dream. One of those dreams was naming their future daughter Emma Smoak Queen – a dream shattered because she had been too foolish to trust an arrogant bastard like Cooper Seldon during a time in her life when she'd gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd in college, and when she'd been far away from Oliver and feeling quite lonely and homesick while on her junior year.

Once again, her brain shifted gears, and just as she had trained herself to develop the habit, Felicity pushed the ugly thought away.

Choosing rather to focus on Emma, she continued her search. She found her little girl's school records and learned that Emma had also inherited her smarts. Emma's grades from preschool to first grade were impressive. She was the youngest in her class, having entered first grade when she was five. She was diagnosed as gifted at age six, having an above-average IQ just like Felicity. Upon the recommendation of her teachers and principal, Oliver had transferred her from public school to a small, pioneering school for gifted kids. It was the only school of its kind in Starling Town and in that part of the state, and as such, tuition there was costly, which explained why Emma had described Oliver as always working hard at the ranch and not having much of a social life.

A tear escaped the corner of her eye and rolled down her cheek. Felicity was mighty proud of how her baby girl had turned out. She only wished she had been there to witness all of Emma's firsts and all of Emma's achievements, so far. She wiped away the tear from her cheek as a contented smile bloomed on her face.

One of these days she would find out where Moira's grave was, drive down to Starling, and thank her. No one had to know.

Felicity also thought of thanking Oliver for doing a really fine job of raising Emma. But, that was something she wasn't ready to do just yet. The mere thought of being in the same room with him again made it difficult for her to breathe. Perhaps one day she'd get to that point when she could handle such a meeting, but that day was definitely not in the near future.

One nagging thought in particular kept Felicity unsettled, though. Based on their encounter, Emma clearly had no idea who she was. It seemed that her family never told Emma about her. But did Oliver know that she was Emma's birth mother, or had Moira brought this secret to the grave? If Oliver knew, how long had he known? Had he known from the beginning and still had taken on the responsibility of raising Emma? Why had he not told Emma about her? Why had he not reached out to her?

The answers to those questions were a mystery to her, and Felicity hated mysteries. However, this was one mystery that she'd probably just have to learn to live with, for she could not – would not – risk getting hurt all over again. She still wasn't ready to face Oliver. His life would be less complicated without her. She wasn't willing to consider getting-to-know her child. Emma would be better off not knowing about her. Things like this were best left to the way they were.

Felicity took a deep breath to calm herself. Her phone rang, and when she looked at the screen, she saw Ray Palmer's name blinking. She could always count on Ray to cheer her up.

* * *

 **A/N: What would you do if you were in Felicity's shoes? Let me know what you think of this chapter. Oliver's POV is up next.**


	7. Chapter 7: Emma's Plea

**Emma**

 **Chapter 7**

* * *

It's been almost a week since Oliver and Emma had gone to Central City for her school's field trip, but Oliver hadn't told Thea about their encounter with Felicity in STAR Labs, and he wasn't planning on doing so. He knew how Thea felt about his ex-girlfriend, and he wasn't ready to deal with it. He also knew that somehow Thea had sensed that something was up – what with his broody disposition stretching for days since their return – but he was glad that she had not asked or called him out on it. He was grateful that his younger sister had really outgrown her childish ways. Perhaps helping him with the responsibilities of raising Emma and managing the ranch had forced her to mature faster than she would have if their mother were still alive.

But Emma had overheard him and Thea talking in the kitchen that morning; hence, he could no longer avoid it.

While they had tidied up after breakfast, Thea had told him that she was scheduled for a job interview in Central City the next day. They had been discussing about her getting a "real" job where she could practice everything she had learned in interior design school. Oliver wanted her to make a life for herself and not get stuck in the ranch just because she felt obliged to stay with him and help, especially with Emma. He had always assured her that he was fine about her moving to one of the cities near Starling Town if she could land her dream job.

"It's just an interview. And even if everything goes well, it doesn't mean I'll take the job. I'd like to keep my options open. Central City isn't exactly 'nearby,'" Thea had said earlier, shrugging her shoulders while watching her brother's reaction from the corner of her eye.

"Speedy, you know I'm behind you a hundred percent," Oliver had replied. "I've always wanted what's best for you. If taking a job in the city will help you grow and become the best version of yourself, then you should go for it. You don't have to pass up a perfectly good opportunity on account of us. Emma and I will be fine." He'd placed his hand on her shoulder as a gesture of reassurance.

"Thanks, Ollie. Hearing you say that means a lot. If I do get the job, I promise to come home every weekend," Thea had said, and then she had added with a chuckle, "Okay, make that almost every weekend."

"Are you taking the truck?" Oliver had asked.

"I can take the bus."

"No, take the truck. That way you save time, and you'll get there with plenty of time to compose yourself. The bus stops at least twice. What time is the interview?" he had asked her again.

"10 a.m."

"Oh… You'll have to get up early and leave around six. I'll pack you sandwiches for the long drive."

"Thanks!" Thea had beamed, happy that her big brother is being very supportive.

Just when they had thought that their conversation was just coming to a pleasant end, a tiny but enthusiastic voice had echoed throughout the room. "Can I come?" Oliver and Thea had turned around too quickly that they could have gotten a mild case of whiplash. It was as if they had gotten caught trading rumors. Emma had been standing near the doorway to the kitchen, her posture betraying that she must have been standing there in silence all that time, listening to their conversation. The little girl had stared at them in anticipation, her eyebrows raised to her hairline. They both would have thought she looked so adorable if they had not been taken by surprise.

"It's _may,_ Emma," Thea had corrected her. "And say _go_ instead of _come…_ May I go…"

"That's what I said," the little girl had reasoned out, pouting this time, with her hands akimbo on her hips. "May I go with you to Central City?" she had asked a second time.

"Emma, why would you want to come with me to Central City? You were just there last week," Thea had asked, wondering why the cutest niece in the world would ask such a thing from out of the blue.

Oliver, on the other hand, had started to fidget, unease obviously emanating from his body movement.

"I want to see STAR Labs again," Emma had declared so resolutely. She had punctuated that statement with the cutest smile that made her blue eyes sparkle with excitement.

Thea had asked, "And why would you want to go back to STAR Labs? I somehow got the impression that you and Ollie didn't really enjoy your recent trip."

Emma cocked her head slightly and said, "What makes you say that? STAR Labs is the coolest place on earth. I had so much fun there!"

"Maybe you had, but Ollie certainly hadn't. It was written all over his face when you got home from the trip," Thea had remarked, giving her brother an elbow to his side.

Emma had crossed her arms in front of her and bit her lower lip. Oliver immediately saw Felicity in her. That was exactly how she looked when she had something important or urgent going on inside her head. Why won't images of Felicity in his head leave him alone?

Emma had been quiet for beat, and then she had spoken, choosing to ignore her aunt's remark. "I still want to go. Please?" she'd begged Thea. From what she had heard (or eavesdropped) of their conversation a while ago, she had inferred that her sister's job interview would be over before noontime. If that was the case, her sister will have plenty of time to take her back to STAR Labs after lunch, and they'd still have enough time to drive back home before dark.

"Emma…" The way that Oliver had said her name, the little girl had sensed immediately that her older brother disapproved of her request.

"Please, Ollie. I wanna go back and see Felicity again," Emma had pleaded, this time more meekly, in order to persuade him and gain his approval.

"Emma, you have school," Oliver had replied, his voice laced with an emotion that neither he nor his little girl could recognize.

"I can miss a day. It's just one day. I can catch up."

"Emma…"

"Ollie, please. I want to see _her_. I need to ask her something. It's important," the little girl had begged him, closing their distance and finally crashing into him with a fierce hug around his midsection.

"Emma, I'll think about it. Okay?" he'd told her. "Give me some time. I promise I'll get back to you before Thea has to leave."

His little girl had simply nodded, even as tears had threatened to fall from her eyes. Oliver hadn't been sure what to say, so he had taken the safest way out of the unnerving situation – stalling. He'd known that he'll still have to deal with it later on, but he had bidden time to think and sort through the tangled web of mixed emotions deep inside him.

As soon as Emma had left, Thea turned to her brother with a knowing look and asked, "Would you mind telling me what's going on?"

Oliver took a deep breath and then heaved a heavy sigh. He leaned back against the kitchen counter, with his head hanging low. After letting some time pass, he told his sister, "Felicity is in Central City. We ran into her at STAR Labs. Apparently, she works there now."

Thea couldn't believe her ears. "What?"

"It's true. She-"

"Did you get to talk to her?" Thea interrupted her.

"Yes."

"What did _you_ say?"

"…"

"What did _she_ say to you?"

"…"

"Did Emma get to talk to her?"

Oliver nodded once.

"Does Emma know?"

Oliver shook his head.

"Are you going to tell her?"

"I don't know," Oliver replied truthfully.

He honestly didn't know what to do. When he finally had that heart-to-heart talk with Emma about her being adopted, he had also told her that she could ask him about her birth mother. He had also told her that if and when she decided that she wanted to meet her mother, he would support her, but she had not asked him for anything yet. Nevertheless, now Emma was asking. She asked to see Felicity again, so adamantly. After that brief but unforgettable incident in STAR Labs, Emma must have been trying to piece things together. Oliver wouldn't be surprised if Emma, who inherited her mother's smarts, somehow had an inkling, a vague idea about who the woman was that used to be his very good friend. Whether or not Emma knew who Felicity really was, Emma pleaded with him. He used to think he was ready when she was ready. But now, he didn't know if he could do it. Would he, at least, try?

* * *

 **A/N: So, what do you think? Is Oliver going to let Emma go and see Felicity?**


	8. Chapter 8: Back to Central City

**Emma**

 **Chapter 8**

* * *

"So... have you thought about what you're going to say to her?" Thea asked. The tone of her voice told Oliver that she wasn't exactly curious.

Oliver gave her the side-eye, and then looked straight ahead once again. The road up ahead was mostly empty since it was still quite dark. It was going to be a long drive to Central City, so they had left early. His hands were clammy because of all the conflicted thoughts and emotions swirling around in his head and heart, but he gripped the steering wheel of his ever-reliable pickup truck more firmly. He knew his sister wasn't going to let this one go just like that. It was a good thing that Emma was asleep in her booster seat at the back.

"Ollie, I'm serious," Thea continued.

"Well, if you promise not to keep asking anymore until we get home, then I will answer your question," he said without looking at Thea. He took her silence to mean yes. "If you must know, yes, I did a lot of thinking last night. But, no, I still don't know what say to her."

"I knew it," Thea said, crossing her arms in front of her in sheer frustration. "You are so getting into trouble. I just don't understand why you have to do this. You and Emma and me? We're doing just fine. We don't need her in our lives."

"Emma does."

"Says who? She doesn't care. She cheated on you and then left without so much as an explanation. It's been seven years, Ollie. If she wanted to know how her child's been doing, she would have already done something."

"Thea, I don't want to judge her any more than I already have in the past. Emma was right. When I told her that her birth mother is still alive, do you know what she told me? Emma thought hard and said that her mother must have had her reasons. She's the smartest and strongest of us all." Thea was quiet, so Oliver continued. "This is what Mom would have wanted. She told me so in her letter."

"Well, Mom's not here anymore," Thea replied quite adamantly, trying so hard to keep her voice down so as not to wake Emma. "Look, I know Mom wanted you to give Emma the chance to get to know her mother if and when she asks about her. But Emma only asked to see Felicity because she's fascinated about meeting her at STAR Labs. She hasn't made the connection yet, has she?"

This time, Oliver was quiet. Thea wished she could read his mind, but she was almost sure what his answer was. She heaved a sigh and said, "I still think this is a bad idea." He didn't hear the remark of disapproval from his sister, because his mind was already preoccupied with how his talk with Emma had gone the night before.

Oliver turned on the lamp on Emma's bedside and tucked her into bed. He kissed her on the forehead, hoping that she had forgotten all about his promise to get back to her about the trip to Central City the next day with Thea. When he pulled the blanket over up to her chest, Emma suddenly asked, "So, may I go with Thea to Central City tomorrow?"

"Emma," Oliver paused and sighed, "why do you really want to see Ms. Felicity? If you have an interesting question about tech stuff, we could probably just send her an email or something. I'm sure that could be arranged with STAR Labs."

"It's not about tech stuff, Ollie. It's really important," the little girl replied.

"Why don't you tell me what it's about? Then I get to decide if it's really important enough for you to miss school and travel that far just to ask her in person."

Emma's eyes narrowed and her forehead crinkled as she bit her lip. She was obviously thinking hard about whether or not she would tell Oliver what was in her mind. After a minute, she told him, "I wanted to ask Ms. Felicity if she.. if she was my mother."

Oliver tried to keep himself calm. He knew Emma all too well, and he'd been anxious that she would be able to put the puzzle pieces together, after how things had gone down at STAR Labs last week. But he just wasn't prepared for this. He cleared his throat and then asked, "Why would you ask her that?"

"Well, when you told me that my real mom is still alive somewhere, you did say that you knew who she was, and that you and her were very close friends. Didn't you?"

Oliver thought hard to recall their previous conversation a few months ago. A small smile indicated that he conceded, and he replied, "Yeah, I think I did say that. What of it?"

"Last week when we met Ms. Felicity at STAR Labs, you said that you knew each other, and that you **were** 'good friends.' It was kinda obvious that there was something more there. Coz you two looked at each other... differently. Like you knew something that I didn't. She looked at me like she was about to cry. And she loved my name! So I thought, if my real mom was a very good friend of yours, and if Felicity too was a good friend of yours from before, what were the chances of them being the same person? If they're not, then maybe Ms. Felicity also knew my real mom," Emma babbled ever so coherently, if there was such a thing.

Oliver shook his head in fake disbelief. He realized that he'd been reading Emma right all along. The only thing he thought of saying was, "Emma, if you wanted to know who your real mom is, then all you had to do was ask me. We talked about his, remember?"

"I know," Emma replied, "but I figured if you really wanted to tell me, then you would have already. After STAR Labs, I thought that maybe, you never really wanted me to know. It's been almost a week. You know that, right?"

"Guess you're right, kiddo," Oliver answered. "But you can ask me now." He smiled at her reassuringly.

Emma yawned, fighting off sleep. She really wanted to know the truth. "Ollie, I want to know who my real mom is. Is Ms. Felicity my mother?"

"Yes, she is," he replied with a nod. "I only found out a few months ago the day after your birthday. Honestly, I didn't know where to find her if and when you asked about her. What happened in STAR Labs had been... a surprise."

Emma was quiet this time, processing the information in her head. Her eyelids were drooping a bit, but Oliver could tell she was resisting the urge to fall asleep.

"So, now that you know who your birth mother is, I guess there's no need to go up to Central City tomorrow," Oliver remarked.

"Oh, I still want to go!" Emma's eyes widened in anxious anticipation.

"But why?"

"I wanna ask her something else."

"Which is...?"

"I wanna know why she gave me up. She seems like a really nice person, and very pretty too. I wonder why she gave me away. She must have been in deep trouble."

* * *

Truth be told, Oliver had been scared half to death at the prospect of Emma confronting Felicity, but he had been more amazed at, and overwhelmed by, his little girl's intelligence, empathy, and courage - which was why he couldn't find it in his heart to deny her request. By the time he had turned off her lamp and switched on her night light, he had already given permission for her to go with Thea to Central City.

The only problem was that Thea hadn't been willing to take Emma to STAR Labs. Thea didn't want to be the one there when little Emma faced off with Felicity. Oliver tried to convince her otherwise, but she had vehemently refused. "You want Emma to meet her mother? You go and take her then," Thea had told him sternly. Which was why he was now the one behind the wheel of his truck, driving into Central City.

He dropped off Thea earlier than they planned for her job interview, and then he and Emma stopped for brunch at Jitters. He needed caffeine. And he needed time to pause for a while and think through what he was going to say to Felicity. He and Emma were going to see her at STAR Labs in an hour. He'd better know what to tell her, especially since they were coming to see her without an appointment. He wasn't even sure if she would be willing to see them. He figured he should talk to Emma about that before they left Jitters, so that his little girl wouldn't get her hopes up unnecessarily. He wasn't really aware of it, but perhaps he needed that talk for himself just as well.

* * *

 **A/N: Your thoughts on this one?**


	9. Chapter 9: Waiting

**Emma**

 **Chapter 9**

* * *

Oliver and Emma approached the reception area of the STAR Labs lobby even if there was no one behind the counter. They had no choice but to wait, since they had no idea where to look for the person they came here for. They also knew that the said person wasn't exactly expecting to see them that day (or ever again). After a few minutes, a guy with long, dark hair emerged from a doorway behind the counter and greeted them.

"Hi! I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting. But we're a little undermanned today. We didn't realize someone walked in until security alerted the main office, which, in turn, sent me - of all people - down here. This isn't exactly my forte - greeting people and inquiries - but I'll do my best. My name is Cisco Ramon, STAR Labs' chief engineer. What can I do for you, folks?" Cisco looked at the two strangers, recognizing by their stereotypical appearance that they were not from the city.

"Good morning, Mr. Ramon. My name is Oliver Queen, and this is my little sister, Emma. We were wondering if we could see Ms. Felicity Smoak?"

"Oh, Felicity! I just saw here come in this morning. Do you have an appointment?" Cisco asked.

"We don't actually," Oliver replied politely. "Look, we understand if she can't see us right away. But we've come a long way just to see her about something important," answered Oliver.

"Please, mister. May we see her?" little Emma begged, standing on tiptoes so that Cisco could see her from the other side of the reception counter.

Cisco's eyes shifted from Oliver to Emma, and then back to Oliver. Clearly, he was thinking things through. "Well, are you family?"

Oliver's back straightened and his shoulders tensed as he replied, "You could say that."

Cisco could not resist frowning a little. He asked a second time, "Where did you say you're from again?"

"We actually haven't told you where-"

Emma was cut off by Oliver's glare. He placed her hand lightly on her shoulder, and when she backed down, he told Cisco, "We're from out of state. Starling Town."

"Starling Town, huh?" Cisco responded, this time flashing them a small smile. "At least now I know where Felicity's originally from. She's a brilliant and talented woman to be working with, and a wonderful friend, but she hasn't really talked much about her background."

Oliver simply smiled. He had a feeling that Cisco was sort of fishing for more information, but he wasn't ready to give him that.

When Cisco picked up that he wasn't going to get more out of them, he said, "Well, it's... nice to meet you both. That's Oliver and Emma Queen, from Starling Town, right? I'll see what I can do."

For about a complete minute, Cisco mumbled into the telephone receiver, trying his best to keep the STAR Labs visitors from overhearing his conversation with Felicity from behind the counter. He had retreated a few paces from them as soon as he heard Felicity's apprehensive tone of voice at the other end of the line. He tried to keep his voice down, but his facial expression and body language betrayed him. Oliver and Emma already knew what was going on before he even got to tell them that Felicity couldn't see them today, and also can't say when she could see them due to a full week's schedule. Cisco didn't like that he had to lie for his friend, and the discomfort was written all over his face.

Oliver sighed in disappointment. He knelt down to be at the same level as Emma's gaze. He held his little girl's shoulders and said, "I'm sorry, sweetheart. As you can see, she's a very busy person."

Emma pursed her lips as tears welled up in her eyes. "Or maybe she doesn't want to see us."

Oliver thought so, too, but he did not want to break Emma's heart any more than it already was breaking. He struggled for an appropriate response, and was relieved when something sensible soon came to him. "Ems, we don't know for sure if she really doesn't _want_ to see us. I think it's more that she's not _ready_ to see us. Not just yet, I suppose."

Oliver sighed as Emma's first tear fell. "Tell you what..." he said lovingly, "I'm going to leave my number with Mr. Ramon and ask him to give it to her. That way, she'll know how to contact us when she's ready. For now, all we can do is wait," he said, as he wiped her tear away with his thumb.

"Okay," the little girl said, drying her cheek with her sleeve. Then she walked away.

Oliver frowned in confusion when he saw that Emma wasn't headed to the exit of the building. Instead, the little girl went to the lounge area of the lobby and sat on one of the cushioned benches there. He followed her and stood directly in front of her with his hands on his hips.

"Emma, what are you doing?" he asked, frustrated. He knew exactly what she was doing.

"You said to wait. So, I'm waiting," she answered candidly.

Oliver knew there was no use talking Emma out of it, so he joined her on the cushioned bench. Cisco was staring at them from behind the reception counter, and when Oliver met his gaze, Oliver simply shrugged and dismissed it.

* * *

More than a couple of hours had passed - and more than a couple of phone calls from Cisco to Felicity's computer lab, too. Both Oliver and Emma were very hungry. He tried to persuade Emma to leave, even bribing her with a treat at Big Belly Burger, but the little girl won't budge. She told him she'd settle for a Big Belly delivery right where she was. She may have inherited her pretty face and her brains from her mother, but she certainly had imbibed the stubbornness of the older brother that had raised her. Nature and nurture had produced an extraordinary young lady that happened to be his. He just had to concede. Once again.

Just as Oliver was about to place an online order at Big Belly's with his phone, a tall, attractive woman with dark blonde hair approached them at the lounge. "Hi! I'm Dr. Caitlyn Snow, and I'm a friend of Felicity's. She asked me to tell you that she's very sorry she can't see you today. She said she doesn't want you to waste any more time waiting for her."

Oliver stood up and shook hands with Caitlyn, saying, "Thank you Dr. Snow. And thank you for coming out to let us know. We didn't mean for you to be inconvenienced as well. Right, Emma?" Emma remained quiet, so Oliver saw this as an opening. "In that case, Emma and I better get going. We still have to pick up-"

It was Emma's turn to interrupt her older brother. "Dr. Snow, are you good friends with Ms. Felicity?"

Caitlyn smiled down at the little girl and gave the crown of her head a gentle pat. "Oh, yes, I am! We've been friends since our senior year at Central City University. We met at a class we took under Dr. Wells, the big man running this great place you know as STAR Labs."

Emma stood and smiled. "Cool! So could you please..." The little girl cleared her throat, straightened her back, and looked up confidently at Caitlyn. "Would you kindly let my mom know that her daughter Emma would like to ask her a very important question? Just one. And then we can go home. We promise not to bother her anymore."

Caitlyn's eyes grew wide, like a deer's caught in the headlights. For a second or two she was in a state of shock. She'd been friends with Felicity for almost seven years now, and she'd always known Felicity to be very private about her background, but she never really thought that having a child had been one of the secrets that Felicity had kept buried in her past. As Caitlyn allowed herself to process what the little girl had just said, the beating of her heart slowly returned to normal, and she sensed her heart melting, overcome with compassion for Emma. The little girl just wanted to see the woman she thought was her mother. Caitlyn thought that she deserved a chance.

"Uhm, Emy...?"

"It's Emma."

"Yes, sorry. Emma, why don't you and your..." Caitlyn was really confused. The man standing beside Emma was really old enough to be her dad. In her loss of words, Caitlyn was trying hard not want to say anything wrong that might offend the kind strangers who appeared to have been family, as far as her best friend was concerned.

"...my older brother. His name is Oliver."

"Right," Caitlyn said. "So, Emma, why don't you and Oliver head on to Big Belly's. I'm sure you must be very hungry. The place won't be as crowded by now. Let me see what I can do." She then shifted her gaze to Oliver and said, "If Felicity doesn't join you in an hour, then please assume that she won't be coming." Caitlyn felt for them both, but she knew that it was all she could offer them. With a hopeful look, she told Oliver, "She has your number, from Cisco. Give her time. She'll come around. Whatever she was running away from before we became friends, I'm sure she has matured somewhat by now to find the courage to face it."

"Thank you," was all Oliver could say.

"No problem," Caitlyn said, offering her hand for another handshake. "It was nice to meet you two."

* * *

About an hour later, Felicity was a no show. Oliver sent Thea a text that they'll be picking her up from Jitters in about five minutes. He pulled out a bill from his wallet to leave a tip, telling Emma to finish her leftover milkshake because they were ready to leave. When they stepped out of the restaurant, he took the little girl's hand so that he could lead her to their truck that was parked a block away. But before he could tug at her hand to go, Emma suddenly embraced him, her little arms wrapped around his waist, and her trembling hands clinging to the fabric of his shirt on his back. He leaned forward and hugged her back, kissing the crown of her head. He knew how utterly disappointed she was.

"Oh, Emma," he whispered, as he felt her sobbing against his midsection. "We'll be okay. We have always been." He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her cheeks dry. Emma put her tiny hand in his big one and began to walk in the direction of the parking lot. She looked up at him and said, "Let's go home."

Little did they know that the person that broke their hearts was right across the street, watching them both. Felicity had been waiting in her car for more than half the hour they were inside the restaurant. She had tried, but had only gone as far as driving to the spot and watching them in tears from afar - her guilt and shame and fear overpowering the compassion and desire to spend time with the two living people that she hadn't realized she'd missed sorely all this time. After composing herself, she drove away from the curb, the piece of paper with Oliver's number clutched in her right hand. Maybe one day.

Emma had Oliver wiping away her tears that day. Felicity had no one. Yet who could say whose heart was broken the most?

* * *

 **A/N: Please do bear with the angst and drama for a few more chapters. Thank you for reading and following this fic! I appreciate the comments and encouraging words, including the ones coming from Guests that I cannot personally reply to. Y'all are awesome. :-)**


	10. Chapter 10: Back to Starling Town

**Emma**

 **Chapter 10**

* * *

 ** _More than seven years ago..._**

 _"Do you really have to go back?" Oliver asked her. "I don't think I can take another year without you here."_

 _Felicity said nothing in response as she sat between his bent legs on the dew-damp grass under the shade of a tree. It was "their tree," in the woods at the edge of the Queens' ranch. She had been leaning back against his chest with her eyes closed, savoring the feeling of his warmth enveloping almost her entire body while he rubbed his palms up and down her arms. This was home - something that she had missed and craved for in the past year as a freshman at MIT._

 _They had pulled their savings together just to get her home for the summer and then back to college in the fall. With her mother gone, Felicity had to keep her grades up in order to maintain her scholarship. That wasn't the hard part, though. Adjusting to university culture in the east coast and feeling homesick were the tougher hurdles of living alone for the first time in her life. Starling Town had been her world. The Queens were her family, and she was so thankful that she had them in her life._

 _Of course, Felicity knew the answer to his question. She just wasn't ready to say goodbye a second time. So, she sat up straight and rested her forearms on her bent knees. She felt Oliver's disappointment at the loss of contact._

 _"Sorry, that was a stupid question," he apologized. He sat up and leaned forward against her back, wrapping his arms around her midsection. "I'm really going to miss you. Again," he told her._

 _This time, she spoke to acknowledge his feelings, and to let him know that she felt the same way, maybe worse. She felt bad that she had to leave home to follow her dreams. She felt worse that she had to leave him behind, but she knew that Oliver was happy at the ranch and very much content taking up his college courses at the community college._

 _"Me, too," she said. "Freshman year was hard. I miss my mom all the time. And I know you're just a text or phone call away, but... It's not the same. I don't even know how I made it through ten months without you. You know I don't make friends that easily, not even when the good majority of folks at MIT are as smart as I am."_

 _"Nobody's as smart as you are," Oliver complimented her as he began to kiss the back of her ear._

 _She chuckled. He wasn't sure if it was because of his compliment or because the kisses he was now peppering down her neck made her feel tingly all over. But there were two things he was quite sure of: that the sound of her laughter was music to his ears, and that he was so going to miss that about her when she leaves for Boston again the next day._

 _They stayed like that for a while. Quiet. Peaceful. The only sounds to be heard were the light gasps she made each time his lips found the ticklish spots on her nape and shoulder._

 _She finally broke the silence when he asked, "Do you think there's a chance you could come visit?"_

 _"Felicity, you know that if I had the money, Boston is the first place I'd be headed to," Oliver replied enthusiastically. She looked over her shoulder to gaze at him appreciatively, but he had buried his face in the crook of her heck, nuzzling against the blonde locks there. She tilted her head sideways towards him, so that her temple rested on his forehead. His arms tightened their hold around her waist as he lifted his head to whisper in her ear. "But getting you back here for Christmas and next summer is my priority. Okay?"_

 _Felicity nodded in agreement, and then she whispered, "I love you."_

 _"I know you do."_

 _"I can't say it enough."_

 _"Just remember who said it first."_

 _She smiled affectionately as she turned in his embrace to face him. She was waiting for him to say it - those three precious words - and he knew it as he looked into her eyes._

 _Oliver had been the first one to declare his love, during his senior year and her junior year in high school, but he hadn't said it a second time. He knew that she had been dying to hear it again ever since she'd agreed to his proposition that they redefine their friendship and take their relationship to the next level. When she left for Boston last Fall, he'd been too emotional to say it at the airport even when he had wanted to; it had been the first time she'd seen him cry, so she hadn't pushed him to say the words after her. This time, though, he knew in his heart that she needed to hear him say those words again._

 _"I love you... no matter what." There, he'd said it. And she rewarded him with a passionate kiss that he would miss for months on end._

* * *

No matter what.

That was what Oliver had said. He had sounded so resolute, so sincere back then. However, the judgment in his eyes when his gaze fell from her anxious face to her baby bump that day in their house at the ranch - it had negated everything that his sweet declaration of love had once stood for. He had remained tense and stiff like a driftwood at the doorway to the kitchen across from where she had stood in the living room waiting for him. He had not said anything to her, hadn't asked a question, hadn't even asked how she was. He had just... stared. Pain and anger over an apparent betrayal had been written all over his face.

Felicity had known what must have been going on inside his head. It was exactly what she feared he would think, which was why it had taken her a few months to decide whether or not she should come home from Boston. Ever since she'd found out that she was pregnant, she wrestled with the thought of coming home, of facing her family, of facing him. How could she tell him? How would she even begin? She'd been so terrified that he would see her differently and never understand, never come to terms with _her_ misery and _his_ loss. The moment their gazes locked - hers of fear and shame, and his of disillusionment and rage - she had known that she'd been right to be afraid. Oliver walking away without saying a word had been the most painful experience in her life - more painful than the tragedy that had befallen her.

Reminiscing the past was not a pleasant exercise, but somehow she felt it in her bones that this was what she needed at the moment. She refolded the piece of paper with Cisco's handwriting and inserted it back into the hidden pocket of her mobile phone case. She would have turned back at the last exit before she'd seen the diner. It was still there. She knew that Starling Town would be the next exit, and she had felt the pangs of fear and doubt, which made her stop for coffee. It had done her good. Perhaps, her friends were right, she thought. Ever since Emma had so sweetly intruded into her life that afternoon in STAR Labs, memories from the past seven years had resurfaced piece by piece and had come to new light. Sure, it had been unnerving, suffocating at times. And yet, somehow it had been almost... cathartic.

Felicity left the diner and drove away, towards Starling Town.

* * *

No matter what.

Her friends had said the same thing to her for the past month or so. Finding out that Felicity had a daughter had been a shock to Cisco and Caitlyn, but they had taken it fairly well... after copious amounts of caffeine had flooded their system. They had kindly assured and reassured her that they were behind her all the way, encouraging her that knowing about how she'd given up her child to adoption did not change their friendship with her in any way. They told her that whatever her reasons were, they respected it and they did not think less of her. She appreciated that, even more so the fact that they did not pressure her to divulge all of her secrets to them.

Even Ray had taken the rather unexpected news quite calmly. The first thing Ray had said when she finally found the courage to tell him was, "Whoa... Suddenly everything about you that I couldn't put my finger on became very, very clear. No wonder you're allergic to committed relationships." He had meant it to be a joke, but Felicity wasn't trying to be funny. Like her, Ray also had the tendency to blurt out things without thinking - yet another one of the many reasons why she thought it would never work out between them, even when he had signified more than once that he was interested in more than a professional relationship with her ever since Dr. Wells had introduced them at a dinner party. (Her boss had thought that they were compatible, both having above-average IQs. Sadly, that was all that they had in common, other than their slightly off-tangent sense of humor and their dysfunctional brain-to-mouth filter.)

For the sake of their friendship, Felicity thought that she should open up and tell Ray once and for all why she would never commit to anything more than friendship as far as he was concerned. She thought she needed to tell him the truth about her past, and about her feelings for him, or rather, the absence of such. Ray had been heartbroken for a couple of weeks, but he wasn't the melancholic type of person that wallowed in self-pity and resented rejection. He had bounced back and reassured her of his friendship as well.

Ray was a good guy - almost like a Disney prince. But Felicity hadn't felt like much of a princess for a very long time, though she had dreamed of becoming a Queen for most of her life. She didn't think she deserved to be happy - not in that way, and certainly not after what she'd done and what she'd been through.

Felicity was grateful for the support of her friends. She felt that even Dr. Wells had had an inkling of what was going on in her personal life, but she had no way of knowing how much he knew about her. She was just thankful to have a job that she loved doing, wonderful friends to work with, and a boss who did not pressure her at work especially when her personal life was taking its toll on her emotionally and mentally.

She was not so grateful for unsolicited advice, however. She knew that Cisco, Caitlyn, and Ray meant well, and that they were concerned not just for her but also for the little girl that came to STAR Labs just to ask her something that she deemed important. Each time Caitlyn or Cisco mentioned anything remotely relevant to her making peace with her past, she'd try to evade the issue or to elude their remarks and "suggestions." Ray had even tried once to talk her into making the phone call and talking to Emma, but that had almost turned into a heated argument, so he hadn't tried again.

But the other day, Dr. Wells dropped a piece of paper on her desk. It was a signed form for a week-long vacation leave with pay. He practically ordered her to take the much-needed and well-earned break, telling her that she deserved some time for herself after the successful launch of yet another cyber-security software that she had developed for STAR Labs to use and market. Caitlyn had been there to witness it, and after Dr. Wells left Felicity's lab, her best friend had persuaded her to take the leave.

"Go home, Lis," Caitlyn told her with tough love and tender eyes. "This is about closure. You owe it to yourself, and to that sweet little girl. If you don't, that'll be the biggest regret of your life. You don't have to be in Emma's life if you really don't want to be, but at least give her the chance to get to know _you_ \- the one that you've become."

Felicity knew that her best friend was right. She'd have to face her fears so that she could finally move on with her life.

She drove past the sign welcoming her into Starling Town. It had been so long...

Fifteen minutes later, she drove through the archway into the ranch, uncertain of what kind of welcome awaited her there. After all, she was the one coming unannounced this time around.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you again for reading this! I appreciate that you are still there, especially the Guests that I cannot reply to. :-)**


	11. Chapter 11: House on a Ranch

**Emma**

 **Chapter 11**

* * *

Felicity drove into the ranch, down the dirt path, past the corrals and the stables, and stopped a few meters away from the familiar country home where she had spent most of her growing up years. Near the cluster of trees, the faux well, which carried the sign "Queen Ranch," was still there. Yet, a new addition to the site caused a small smile to form on her lips. The well had become part of a larger, more colorful scene – that of a kid's playground, complete with a Little Tykes slide, a sandbox, and a swing hanging from a thick branch of one of the sturdier trees. The play area was a testament to the many changes she believed Emma had brought into the lives of the people that lived there, the people whom she once considered her family.

As she got out of her car, someone just as familiar approached from the stables behind her. "Hey, stranger!" the man called out.

Felicity turned to see if indeed the voice had come from the dark-skinned, kind-hearted man that she had always considered her older brother from another mother when she was growing up. John Diggle had been with the Queens since she and Oliver were in middle school. She wasn't surprised to see that John was still working in the ranch. He was a faithful worker, and the Queens had treated him like family, in the same way she and her mother had been treated.

"Hey, John," she greeted him with a shy smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She wasn't sure how much he knew of what had happened seven years ago. She didn't know how he had taken her disappearance from their lives. John was smiling at her as he walked up to her, however, and she took that as a positive sign.

"I thought I'd never see you again around here. Glad I thought wrong," John said to her as he removed his working gloves to shake her hand. He had meant to give her a warm hug, but her body language made him think that she was not ready for that sort of thing. "It's good to see you, Felicity," he added as they shook hands.

"It's good to see you too, John" she acknowledged. It was the truth, and she was happy that the first thing she did get to do when she arrived at the ranch was to say something that was honest. She hoped nothing would happen that day that would force her to do or say otherwise.

"What brings you back?" John asked.

"I, uh… I was told that a little girl named Emma had something very important to ask me," Felicity replied, the trepidation evident in her voice. "Is she home?"

John smiled, being proud of her for taking this big leap of faith after all this time. He looked at his wristwatch and said, "Her bus should drop her off in about… ten minutes or so. But Oliver's in the house. He's cooking up something for Emma to snack on when she arrives. That little girl has some appetite. Reminds me of a girl I used to know." He winked at her.

This time, Felicity smiled sincerely. She was happy about three things. One, her friend obviously was truly happy to see her and welcome her back. Two, her daughter seemed to have inherited her appetite. And three, Oliver had learned how to cook and now knows his way around the kitchen. He had never had any interest in food except to consume anything that Raisa, the family's housekeeper, prepared. Maybe the wonderful motherly lady was no longer around, she thought.

"Why don't you go on ahead? You can wait for Emma inside. I have some work left to do in the stables," John told her, pointing his chin in the direction of the house.

Felicity nodded and said, "Thanks."

* * *

John walked away as Felicity made her way toward the house. When she reached the front porch, she took a deep breath before walking up the few steps. If someone were to ask her, she couldn't describe exactly how she felt. There was nostalgia, and a pleasant wave of fondness. But there were also pangs of pain, regret, and fear that grew stronger inside her with every step she took until she opened the screen door and the front door that led into the living room.

She scanned the room and observed that nothing much had changed. The colors of the throw pillows and the throw blankets on the couches had changed, but the furniture and the layout of the room remained almost exactly as she last saw them. She turned to her right, where she knew the den was. It was her most favorite room in the house, next to the guest room (which Moira had renovated for Felicity when Donna Smoak passed away and the Queens had taken her in to live with them). She wondered what had become of her old room. She loved that room. It had plenty of memories. Memories that she did not want to conjure up at the moment, or ever. She was here for one thing, and one thing only – to answer Emma's question as best she can, and then leave.

She stepped into the den, and her heart fluttered. The spinet piano was still there, albeit looking a little worse for wear, but having more photographs on it. She noticed that all of the photographs in frames included Emma. There were pictures of her solo as she was growing up, and there were pictures of her with Moira, Oliver, Thea, Tommy, and even John. The bean bags were new, but they were placed in the same spot near the sheepskin rug. She remembered how she and Oliver used to spend hours lounging in the den on the old bean bags, listening and singing along to their favorite hit songs. They had made beautiful music together back then, with him playing the guitar and her on the piano. They'd even written a few original songs. She wondered if those lyric sheets were still in the seat of the piano where they used to keep them.

Felicity took a deep breath and blinked away the tears that pooled in her eyes. She needed some air. So, she turned around to leave and get some fresh air out on the porch while she waited for Emma. But when she stepped out into the living room, Oliver also emerged from the kitchen and was stunned to see her there.

"Felicity?" he breathed out. He stared at her in disbelief, forgetting that he was still holding a dish towel in one hand and a pink tumbler in the other.

"Hello, Oliver." She sighed, as she smoothed out the invisible wrinkles on her dress.

Felicity would have been overcome by nervousness at the awkward scenario, but she wasn't. She was more amused by his domesticated appearance. He looked nice with his denim jeans and round-necked navy Henley; however, she couldn't help but smile as she stared at the pink, ruffled apron with pony and unicorn prints, the size and style of which looked like it belonged to the youngest member of the household.

"What are you doing here?" Oliver asked.

"Well, you and Emma came to see me at STAR Labs. I was told that she had something important to ask me, so… here I am," she answered, shrugging her shoulders. She wasn't sure how he was taking her sudden appearance.

"Took you a month to figure that out," he said. It wasn't a question.

It was more like an accusation. Felicity wasn't dense. She could feel the angst in the air. He was angry. She really couldn't blame him for thinking that way. She understood, and she knew this might happen. She had repeatedly told herself that she would not engage him in case he reacted this way to her presence after how she'd refused to see them in Central City. After all, he wasn't the reason she was here. She had promised herself that she wasn't going to let this – whatever Oliver had to say – interfere with her intention of settling things with Emma.

Still, his words stung. And she wondered why it hurt so much when she had repeatedly told herself for the past years, like a mantra, that she was over Oliver Queen. It seemed that hadn't worked.

In an attempt to deflect his attention from her to her mission, she told him, "John said she'll be here in a few minutes. I hope you don't mind me waiting for her in here? But if you do mind, I could just wait out there in the car." She pointed her thumb in the direction of her car outside, making a move to step outside.

But something shifted in his eyes, and the cold, hardened expression on his face softened as she moved away. There was a hint of remorse mixed with earnestness as he said, "No, wait. It's okay. Emma will be home any minute. You can… sit here and wait." He swallowed hard, as if wondering what he was saying and why. It was as if his mouth and his heart had a special understanding, and had agreed to ignore completely what his mind was trying so hard to resist. "What can I get you?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I had a late lunch Carly's Diner on the way here. They still make amazing burgers and milkshakes," she answered with a mild chuckle. She was trying to avert his gaze. She could feel him looking her over even as she looked away, pretending to fancy the room. His gaze was warmer and a little more affectionate this time, though she tried to deny it with all her might.

"I just pulled out a batch of blueberry muffins from the oven. And I'm making fresh lemonade. Are you sure you don't want to try some?"

She grinned involuntarily. She still felt awkward and anxious around him, but she had to admit, she was impressed. He baked now, and he made fresh lemonade instead of buying cartons of his favorite fruit juice like he always did in the past. Emma's presence in his life had done him a world of good.

"O—kay… Guess I'll try one of your muffins and a glass of cold lemonade," she replied, "and thank you." She meant more than just being grateful for the refreshments, and she hoped he got the message.

* * *

Oliver disappeared into the kitchen. Felicity sat on the cushioned rocking chair between the two couches. That was her mother's favorite chair in the Queen house. She closed her eyes and sat back, as she remembered Donna fondly. If her mom were alive, she would be proud of her for not running away from this mess and facing it head-on at last. As she began to rock while reminiscing the countless times that she and her mother had spent in this house, she did not notice the arrival of the little girl that she was waiting for.

Emma ran up the steps of the front porch. She pushed the screen door open and dropped her school bag on the floor. "Ollie!" she called out.

Her loud, enthusiastic voice startled Felicity and broke her out of her reminiscences. Felicity instantly opened her eyes and sprang up. Upon seeing Emma near the doorway, she gasped in surprise.

"Uhm… Hello, Emma."

The little girl stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened when she recognized who the stranger in the rocking chair was. "Oh… It's you."

Felicity stood up slowly and offered her a small, tentative smile. "Yeah, it's me," she said. She took a deep breath and continued, "I'm ready for that talk now. I hope you still are?"

They looked straight into each other's identical eyes, attempting to read sincerity in them. Felicity wondered if the little girl could see past the nervousness she was feeling and into her soul, where her honest intentions lay. Try as she might, she could not read what was going on inside Emma's head at that moment. It looked like the little girl herself could not figure out how she felt about her being there. It wasn't until Emma spoke that Felicity got a hint that their talk was going to be a long and hard one.

Emma shrugged her shoulders and then let out a big breath. "What took you so long?"

It wasn't a question. Felicity now saw in her eyes something similar to what she'd seen in Oliver's just a while ago. Emma was hurt, and that hurt her as well.

* * *

 **A/N: This one still had to be angsty. But I promise that the next update will give us light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for still reading this! And I really mean that. Do let me know if you've enjoyed this post. A little encouragement helps.**


	12. Chapter 12: Heart to Heart

**Emma**

 **Chapter 12**

* * *

At last, Emma turned to look at her. That was a good sign, wasn't it?

The little girl had agreed to speak with Felicity, albeit reluctantly, as her body language indicated. They had settled at the outdoor playground, with Felicity sitting on the swing and Emma on one of three colorfully-painted tree stumps close by. Emma had been mostly stiff for the past twenty minutes or so of small talk. She'd been looking down at her feet or far away to avoid eye contact, and had spoken only when Felicity had asked her simple questions, mostly about school, play time, friends, and the ranch. Felicity had kept her composure and opted to go the way of patience. After all, it was mostly her fault that she was now having a hard time getting the little girl to open up and let her in. She was determined to see this through.

A significant moment of silence had passed when neither one of them spoke. But when Felicity finally found the words that Emma had unknowingly been waiting to hear, the air around them began to clear.

"I'm sorry," she had said. "It was wrong of me to not see you when you came. You traveled so far... just to ask me something. It must have been very... important."

That was when Emma looked up and turned to meet her gaze. There was no smile on her face, just an ironic mixture of hurt and hope in her eyes. "It was," she said.

Felicity swallowed hard. She didn't realize that it was going to hurt this much to know that she had indeed broken the little girl's heart. _Her_ little girl's heart. After taking a deep breath, she added, "I'm sorry, too, for not calling sooner... for not coming to see you sooner. I wasn't brave enough then."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked, her light, higher-pitched voice losing some of the initial indifference during their small talk.

"I wasn't ready to talk then. My life has been... complicated… for a very long time. There are lots of things that have scared me."

Emma remained quiet, clearly mulling over what Felicity was saying. The girl chewed on her lower lip as her eyebrows met. She was puzzled at how a grown woman, whom she considered a genius, would be scared of talking with a little girl like her.

Felicity couldn't help but see her reflection on the expression on Emma's face. Her mother often told her that she looked exactly like that when she was working on solving a problem. Donna had once taken a picture of her when she was putting together her first computer; it had been one of her favorite headshots of Felicity.

A minute later, Emma asked, "What were you scared of?"

Felicity looked at her, and then she blinked and looked down. She replied softly, "Your question."

"What's so scary about that? You are the coolest, smartest person I've ever met. And that's saying a lot, coz I'm with really smart people five days a week. I didn't even get to ask yet."

"I may be smart up here," Felicity replied, pointing to the side of her head, and then placing the palm of her hand on her chest, she added, "but down here... I haven't been doing so well for years."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked a second time.

Felicity sighed, not sure how to make things simpler for a little girl to understand. But something inside her told her not to underestimate her daughter's capacity to understand and empathize. "It means that my heart's been hurt real bad in the past, and it hasn't healed very well."

"Oh..."

"The worse thing is, because I didn't know how to deal with my own hurts, I've made the mistake of hurting other people, too." Something in her chest tightened and then relaxed. Truth be told, she hadn't really thought of things that way before. Maybe she did, but she hadn't verbalized it to someone, or she hadn't really believed it until now. "I am so sorry that in the past weeks, I've hurt you too, Emma. I truly hope you can forgive me," she added apologetically.

The girl looked down again, drawing circles in the sandy soil with the heel of her sneakers. Felicity hoped Emma wasn't about to shut her out again.

It took a couple of minutes before Emma spoke again. But when she did, it was frank and straight to the point. "Was that why you gave me up?"

"What was?" Felicity asked to clarify. Before coming over, she had debated whether or not Emma already knew that she was her mother, because if Emma already did, Felicity was sure that this was the question that the little girl had wanted to ask her. It turned out it was, even if Emma was now asking it indirectly.

"Your hurt. You said your heart was hurt, but it didn't really get well. That made you afraid, didn't it?"

"Yes. I guess it did."

Felicity couldn't believe how perceptive and intuitive Emma was. It must be the genes from _her_ side of the family. (She blocked the thought of Emma's biological father and his genes from her mind. Nothing about that was pleasant.) It could also be the way Emma was brought up. She really should visit Moira's grave and pay her respects. She also thought she ought to thank Oliver for taking good care of Emma and raising her well, so it appears.

At that point in her off-tangent musings, Emma asked more questions. She was on a roll. "What were you so afraid of? Didn't you have anyone who cared? Anyone who could help?"

Felicity's eyes became glassy with tears. She hadn't wanted to be so vulnerable in front of this adorable little girl, but if that was what it took to convince Emma's young mind and heart that she was sincerely sorry and willing to be honest, then so be it.

"I... I thought I did," Felicity answered, her voice trembling a bit. "But my mother passed away years ago. There was no one else. I had... no one."

The thought of thanking Oliver was quickly replaced by the long-buried yet resentful thought that he hadn't been there for her when she needed him most. Remembering how alone she had felt back then when the pregnancy test had turned up positive, how frightened she'd been to come home to Starling a scared and damaged young woman, and how devastated she'd been when Oliver had walked away at the mere sight of her with a baby in her belly – all the poignant emotions swirled and welled up within her in a painfully excruciating way that she could hardly breathe. The first person she had counted on to be on her side had abandoned her then.

"That must have sucked. Plenty."

"Emma..." Felicity's tone was only mildly disapproving.

"Sorry. It's just... You didn't even have one friend to help? I thought you and Ollie were close. Where was he?" Emma asked wondering.

Talk about rubbing it in. Emma was asking all the right questions to satisfy her own curiosity, but it turned out that the little girl who hardly knew anything about Felicity was doing more for her now with her simplistic line of questioning than the long hours of talk therapy that Felicity had spent with her counselor during her last two years of college in Central City.

Felicity was intent upon being truthful to Emma, was willing to answer more than just the girl's one important question. But she did not have the heart to answer _that_ question. She feared it might change the way Emma saw her older brother, whom she clearly looked up to and adored. It seemed the little girl only ever saw Ollie as caring and trustworthy. Felicity did not want to burst her bubble.

But what if Oliver had changed? Really changed? What if he wasn't the same guy that walked out on her without giving her the chance to explain everything? Perhaps Emma turning out so well so far was a proof of that change, that growth and maturity. Felicity was starting to get a headache.

"Oh," she answered with trepidation, "Oliver had enough troubles of his own." She hoped that Emma wouldn't ask any more about Oliver. Thankfully, the little girl didn't.

Instead, Emma pursed her lips, and then she said, "I forgive you."

"What?" Felicity was caught by the sudden shift in their conversation.

"You said you were sorry. Twice. So, I forgive you."

Felicity was somewhat envious that Emma's little heart could forgive so easily compared to hers. People seemed to grow less resilient and understanding as they aged, she thought. She smiled and said softly, "Thank you, Emma. That really means a lot."

The little girl shrugged and sighed. She stood up and went to stand beside Felicity on the swing. Standing to face the woman she had admired a month ago, Emma said, "You know, I used to wonder why I wasn't like other kids who have mommies. I felt different, but not in a bad way. Ollie and Thea love me enough. They're the best brother and sister a girl can have. But when Ollie told me that my real mom's alive, I started to feel bad. Just a little. I thought that maybe something was wrong with me. Why would my mother not want to keep me?" The little girl rambled on, but what she was saying sure made sense to the woman who needed to hear it.

"When Ollie and I met you at STAR Labs, I had a hunch that you're her. My mom, I mean. I liked that. I wanted to see you again. But, you didn't want to see me. That made me feel bad. A lot. I only wanted to ask why you gave me up. I wasn't going to ask you to take me back, especially if you don't want to. Ollie takes care of me just fine. I just needed to understand why. My Sunday school teacher once said that everything happens for a reason. You must have given me up for good reasons, since you seem to be a really good person. Even if your heart is still broken."

A tear fell from the corner of Felicity's eye as she breathed out a relieved sigh. With a bittersweet smile on her lips, she replied, "I'd like to think that my reasons were good enough. Seeing you now… how wonderful you turned out to be… I can say for sure that I made the right choice back then. Moira and Ollie seem to have done a marvelous job. I couldn't have done the same, being your mom, when I was such a mess back then."

Emma responded, "I get it. Don't worry. I don't feel as bad now as I used to. It always helps to talk things through. John says that all the time." She winked at Felicity. Felicity chuckled. Her daughter was really something, quite mature for her age, and she was proud of it.

Felicity was glad that she came. Seeing how amazing little Emma turned out to be gave her hope that life could be better. She certainly did not have that hope to look forward to seven years ago. Everything had been bitter and bleak, as though she had no way out of the darkness but to run away from it with eyes closed, especially when no one had been there to walk her through it, except strangers like Rev. Steele and his wife, and only for a few months.

The twinkle that remained in Emma's eyes after winking at her made her heart flutter. Perhaps her life could be better than the way it was at present. She wondered if having Emma in her life would make a difference. It was as if she had finally found a significant missing piece of her life's puzzle. But did Emma feel the same way about having her mother in her life? Felicity wondered.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you liked this chapter. It's still quite heavy on the heart, but in a good way, I guess, at least, for Felicity and Emma. Felicity and Oliver won't be too far behind, but the road is still going to be bumpy for a while.**


	13. Chapter 13: Dinner

**Emma**

 **Chapter 13**

* * *

"That was delicious, wasn't it?" Emma said a tad bit too enthusiastically, to compliment her older brother's cooking before their special guest at the dinner table. "Ollie makes the best pumpkin soup in the world!" she added, bragging to Felicity.

Oliver chuckled, his cheeks coloring pink with a blush. "I make the _only_ pumpkin soup in the world that you eat," he corrected his little girl. Turning to Felicity, he said, "It's Raisa's recipe."

"I thought so. I kind of remember," Felicity remarked. "How is Raisa?"

"Oh, she's good, from the last time we spoke on the phone. When Mom passed away, she decided to go back to her family in Russia and take care of her grandchildren," Oliver replied.

"I see," Felicity said, nodding once. "I also see that you've learned some skills in the kitchen," she said, teasing him mildly.

"I did. By force of necessity. It isn't easy to feed, not one but two younger sisters with voracious appetites real food of the healthy kind," he explained, winking at Emma.

"Well, the rest of dinner sure tastes good." It was Felicity's turn to compliment his culinary achievement. Small smiles were exchanged between them; both of them acknowledging the fact that they were simply being civil to each other.

But Emma was grinning from ear to ear. She was happy about the presence of their visitor. And it wasn't just because Thea's chair wasn't empty that night. (She sorely missed her big sister, who had moved to Central City two weeks ago for her new job.) It was also because having her real mother in their home had been a month-long dream come true.

After supper, Felicity offered to help either with the dishes or with tidying up the dinner table and the kitchen. Oliver politely declined her offer, saying that he had it covered. When he absent-mindedly put on the pink, ruffled apron with pony and unicorn prints, Felicity could not help but laugh out loud this time.

"What?" Oliver turned around and asked, oblivious to the unintentional entertainment he was unknowingly giving her. He had gotten so used to doing house chores without anyone ever calling him out on how domesticated he looked while doing them.

"You look…" she began to say, pointing to the apron he was wearing, "…certifiably and positively domesticated." She tried to stifle another laugh, but she failed.

"Is that so?" he asked with a glint in his eye.

"Mm-hmm…" she replied, a bit more shyly this time, now that he was now staring at her with an amused look. "And the scruff… It's very… It looks good on you." She wasn't lying. She hadn't really wanted to dwell on seeing him again when she made the decision to come, but his handsome appearance hadn't escaped her notice.

Oliver grinned. "Thank you. I could grow the beard a little now. Emma hated it when she was a toddler. Wouldn't let me kiss her if I didn't shave," he said, chuckling. "You, on the other hand, look certifiably and positively corporate, Ms. Smoak. It suits you," he remarked with apparent fondness. It was a pleasant thought that even if they had both changed radically over the years, somehow they were still capable of connecting by kidding around, like they used to, every single day.

But then he looked straight into her eyes as his mood suddenly turned sentimental, like he was remembering something in the past that he regretted but did not want to bring up. Felicity sensed his sudden mood change and somehow picked up on what he was thinking. She didn't know why, but it scared her that she could still read him like a book, after all these years.

As if on cue, she instinctively spoke. "Seven years ago, you wouldn't have said the same thing." She dropped her gaze and stared at the tiled kitchen floor, regretting that she had just said those words. She feared that she might have just ruined the evening. Especially when she realized that Emma was still sitting at the table within earshot.

* * *

" _You're not coming home for Christmas?" Oliver asked. It was a question, but it certainly sounded like a protest. The second the last word left his mouth, he knew it was a mistake. His girlfriend had repeatedly told him over the past few years that they'd gotten together that raising his voice was not going to work with her._

" _No." Felicity's volume almost matched his. She was clearly keeping herself from yelling at him over the phone._

" _Why not?"_

" _I'll be very busy."_

" _With what? Your classes will be done in a few days."_

" _I have a coding project. With some of my… friends… from the org. I told you I joined one. Remember?"_

 _She had told him about the group that she had joined at the beginning of the Fall semester of her sophomore year. But in first few weeks since she'd hung out with her IT "friends," she had discovered that they were not like most student organizations. Hacktivists. That's how they preferred to be called._

 _All she had wanted to do was to put her skill set to good use, and the org had promised unique opportunities to "change the world for the better." That was the cliché that Myron had sold her. She had also thought it to be a good distraction, and she'd been right, in the beginning. Not only had joining the org helped her cope with life on campus far away from the only home she'd known all her life; pouring her time and talent into the cerebral challenges that the hacktivists offered had also gotten her mind off Starling Town, and her heart off Oliver Queen. She had thought that she could drown out the fact that she missed her mom, and boyfriend, so much that it hurt, literally – body and mind. Loneliness had crept in, and the only way she thought she could handle the stress of college life for another year, among strange people immersed in a completely different pop culture, was to belong to such a group that stimulated her mind and rekindled her passion. Except now, it got harder and harder for her to say 'no' to questionable stuff that they coaxed her into doing. It did not take Felicity long to realize that she had made a huge mistake. That was an important detail in her life that she was too afraid to tell Oliver._

" _And that project is more important than spending time with family? We've always been together for the holidays… since we were kids," Oliver countered. He couldn't imagine celebrating Christmas without her._

 _He was clearly frustrated, bordering on infuriated. He loved his family, and Felicity had become very much a part of that family, especially when Donna passed away and Felicity had moved in with the Queens. He wanted them together on special occasions like always. He also loved and missed his girlfriend. He couldn't get why Felicity wouldn't come home this time, when she was perfectly excited to come home the previous year when she was a freshman._

" _Of course not!" she finally exploded._

 _She took a deep breath to try to compose herself, and then she backed down a little. "I mean, a coding project is not on the same level of importance as family. But it is an important project that a lot of people can benefit from. Not everybody gets the kind of break I've been given. It's my way of giving back. It's important to me. I… I really hope you can understand that." She cringed at the lie she told. She had never lied to Oliver, not until that point. She was really in big trouble._

 _In all fairness, that was all she could say – rather, all she was allowed to say. It was not just any coding project; it was really more like a hacking job, which Myron and Cooper had tricked her into doing, under the guise of helping financially challenged college students with their loans and tuition obligations. At first, she wasn't sure that she was comfortable with the idea of hacking MIT's system, but Myron and Cooper had been persistent. They'd tried to win her over into doing it when they appealed to her for their sake, because they had found out (from a reliable source, as they claimed) that the scholarship committee was deliberating about cutting down board and lodging support for upper classmen scholars like them. But when Felicity saw through the inconsistencies and the lies, she had begged off. Both Myron and Cooper were outraged, so they coerced her into going through with the hack during the holiday break by blackmailing her for the other shady coding projects she had already done for the org and threatening to tip off school authorities. She regretted joining the hackers, and she regretted trusting Myron and Cooper even more._

 _Oliver stopped pushing Felicity. In the past few weeks, he had noticed her changing. Her texts and calls had gotten shorter and more infrequent, sometimes even impersonal. It was as if she'd been distancing herself from him and her past life. What was going on? Now she wasn't planning on coming home for Christmas. The ugly thought that she might have met someone else in Boston was the malice that he had begun to wrestle with, and he'd been winning a few battles against it. He only wished she'd tell him what was really wrong, so that he could win the war. Unfortunately, that day wasn't the day that was going to happen. She had just asked him to understand what was so important to her, so that was exactly what he was going to do. He couldn't let insecurity get the better of him, but he knew it was creeping in._

" _Okay, okay," replied Oliver. "I haven't bought you a ticket yet, since you kept putting off the subject of coming home for Christmas. The rates are higher now, but I think I can still manage to be the one to see you. Is it okay if I come and vis-"_

" _Oliver…" Felicity interrupted him, "save the money for when I come home in the summer. We can take a much-needed vacation. Moira and Thea can even come along. I think that's a much better use for your hard-earned money."_

 _Oliver wanted to think that she had sincerely meant well, but she didn't sound convinced herself. It felt as if she didn't want to see him, for some strange reason. They had been best friends longer than they'd been in love with each other, and Felicity not wanting to be near him was something grievously foreign. It broke his heart._

 _It broke his heart because for the first time in his life, he started to feel like he was losing her. Maybe not to another guy, but to a life she had only dreamed of in her childhood – a career involving science, technology, and the Internet, things that he had only convinced himself to tolerate and then learned to appreciate because he cared about her deeply. They'd discussed it on some superficial level a few times during the summer before she went back to Boston for her sophomore year – him planning on expanding the business at the ranch, and her planning on how to get a job near Starling that had to do with computers by the time she graduates. Maybe she was beginning to reconsider a future with him. Maybe that was what she was couldn't be honest with him about. He began to wonder if one day she would refuse to come home permanently._

" _Alright. I get it." He wanted to say more, but he didn't see the point in doing so. Her mind was obviously made up. "Take good care of yourself, babe. I'm gonna miss you even more."_

" _I… I miss you, too," Felicity said, stammering as she held back a sob. That was the sincerest thing she'd said to him during the entire conversation. In fact, it was the sincerest thing she'd said to him for quite some time._

 _They both hung up. That phone call left a tiny but gaping hole in their hearts, one that grew bigger and wider as each day passed. They wouldn't see each other again until the summer of the next year when she finally came home. And that didn't turn out any better either._

* * *

Oliver sighed. Things had gone well over dinner. How did they end up feeling miserable again? They both had said things that brought up the past, and now, Felicity wouldn't even look at him. (She really looked pretty even when she was sad and upset, he thought.) He had been sensitive enough to notice that their conversation had taken an undesirable turn, so he had sent Emma upstairs to brush her teeth, wash up, and get into her pajamas.

Felicity broke the silence. "Well, it's getting late. I should get going." She moved around the kitchen island and went to get her purse, which was on the counter.

"Are you sure? It's gonna be very late by the time you reach Central City. You can… stay over. For the night. In your old room. The guest room, I mean," Oliver offered. He did not want to bring up more memories of the past, but he was more concerned about her driving alone in the dark for at least four hours.

"Oh, no. I mean, thank you for being so kind, but that's not… It's not… I don't think it's a good idea," she said, gesturing with her hands like she used to. Oliver thought it nice that some good things haven't changed. Her babbling and talking hands were still adorable.

"Then maybe you could check into a motel in town? Just drive in the morning. It's safer," he suggested, scratching the back of his head like he used to when he felt shy and tentative about something. Felicity thought it nice that some good things hadn't changed. His tells were the same after all these years, and he was still as thoughtful and considerate as he used to be, most of the time.

"Sure. I, uhm, I actually already thought of a place to stay for the night," she said, finally ending the exchange. "Thank you for dinner, and thank you for letting me speak with Emma. It really… means a lot."

Oliver nodded, saying, "You're welcome. Thank you for coming to see her. She really wanted to see you again when she figured out who you possibly were."

"Yeah, she's a brilliant little girl."

"Well, we know where she gets that from."

Finally, a small smile blossomed on Felicity's face again, and Oliver was relieved. He did not notice that he was beaming at her once again. But she did.

"Well, say good night to Emma for me, please," she told him, moving towards the living room.

"I think she'd much rather hear you say that herself," he told her. He stopped and hollered, "Emma! Come down and say good night to Felicity, will you?

By the time they reached the front porch, they could hear the little girl's footsteps descending the stairs behind them. "Wait! I wanna say good night!" She ran out to meet them, and Oliver scooped her up into his arms.

"Good night, Ms. Felicity," Emma said with a smile.

"Good night, Emma. It sure was nice talking with you," said Felicity, reaching out to tap the girl's forearm lightly.

Emma's smile widened. She looked straight into her mother's eyes and asked, "Will you come visit me again?"

It was a simple question, but it made Felicity's heart soar. After their heart-to-heart talk, she had wondered whether or not Emma would want her in her life. With that simple question, she learned that Emma did.

Felicity smiled back and answered, "If it's cool with Oliver, then it's cool with me." Oliver turned to her and replied, a bit too eagerly for his liking (but still), "If it's cool with you, then it's totally cool with me."

* * *

 **A/N: Your thoughts on this one? The roller coaster ride was intentional. Very. I hope you didn't mind. :-)**


	14. Chapter 14: Moira's Letters

**Emma**

 **Chapter 14**

* * *

Felicity sat on the moist grass next to the potted flowers she'd brought to Moira Queen's grave. She had wanted to bring flowers that would last longer than usual when she left them there. She thought it was fitting to honor the memory of the woman that had loved and treated her like a daughter for many years, even before her own mother had passed away. Unfortunately, the flower shops in town were still closed by the time she was ready to leave. It was a good thing that the Steeles had so kindly offered to show her the year-round blooms in their backyard garden and had coaxed her to pick the one she liked best; they had given it for free when she told them that she planned on passing by the cemetery to visit Moira's grave before driving back to Central City early that morning.

She had spent the night at the Rev. Walter Steele's halfway house. It had been part of her plan when she decided to come and see Emma in Starling Town. If she was going to make peace with her past by finally setting foot in Queens Ranch after seven years, seeing Oliver again, and speaking with her daughter, she might as well visit the people that had shown nothing but kindness to her and her child years ago.

Leaving the ranch after dinner the night before, the Steeles' had been her first stop. Thankfully, a room was available for her to stay in. It wasn't the one she had lived in before for about four months; nevertheless, spending the night two doors down the hall from that very room had still brought back memories of the time she had spent there. It had been her haven, as the reverend and his wife helped her recover from deep emotional, mental, and physical turmoil.

Felicity pushed the potted flowers closer to the gravestone. "Hello, Moira," she said softly, reaching to trace the engraved letters of the woman's first name on the granite slab marking the ground where her remains lay. "It's been a long time."

She fought back the tears by taking a deep breath and blinking them away behind her glasses. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there when you passed. I didn't… I didn't know. And even if I did, I… I wasn't ready to come back. I never thought I'd ever be. But… Emma. Emma found me. So, here I am."

"You never did give up, didn't you? You were too stubborn for your own good. Just like my mom." She sighed at the memories that she and her mother Donna had shared with Moira Queen. "You both never took 'no' for an answer. Like her, you were strong… steadfast… sure of what you wanted and hoped for. And I am so, so grateful… that you became my baby's mother… even just for a short time."

Tears were streaming down her cheeks like a river current, gaining momentum as she spoke. "Thank you. Thank you for making sure that my baby had a home… for raising her as your own… like you did for me when… when Mom died. Thank you for giving her your name… and for keeping mine. Even when I shut you out of my life completely… even when I didn't think I deserved your help… you… you still loved me the best way you could," she uttered in between tender sobs.

Felicity wondered what Moira would be telling her now if her "second mother" were right in front of her. What would Moira say to her? This reminded her of the letters that Rev. Steele had handed to her just before they waved her goodbye at the halfway house a while ago. Felicity reached for her purse, contemplating whether or not she should read them. The desire to carry on a conversation with Moira, albeit figuratively, was able to win over the fear of reliving a painful time in her life. After everything that the woman had done for her all those years ago, the least she could do was to listen to what she had wanted to say to her, even if that was all in the past. She owed Moira that much.

There were three envelopes in her purse with her name on them, signed in Moira Queen's handwriting. The ink had faded somewhat because of the length of time the letters had been stored in the attic of the halfway house. Apparently, the charitable preacher had kept the letters that Moira had left with them each time she had come to see Felicity that summer. Felicity had refused to read them, let alone accept them. Rev. Steele had not only pitied the woman that had introduced herself as her mother; he also had thought wisely that she might regret not reading them ever, so he had kept them just in case she came back someday with a change of heart. That day had come.

* * *

 _Dear Felicity,_

 _I came to see you today, but Rev. Steele courteously told me that you were not accepting any visitors – not even family. So, I scribbled this note in a hurry, quite unprepared and out of my element, not knowing exactly what to say, except that I would really like for you to come home. I don't know what you're going through, and I won't pretend like I do. I know that you must be confused and hurting, and who knows what else. But everything will be fine. You'll see. Just come home, please._

 _Love,_

 _Moira_

* * *

 _Dearest Felicity,_

 _I hope that this letter finds you well. As you can see, I am better prepared this time. I have had some time to ponder these past few weeks since I first came to see you. I thought that I should come ready, just in case you still refuse to see me, so I decided to write down my thoughts to let you know what is in my heart._

 _The first thing I want to say is that you are sorely missed here at home. Whatever happened the day you came back from Boston and then ran away, I need you to know that you are still very much a part of our family. I miss you, my dear girl, and I will keep trying to convince you to come home. To me, it is not just about honoring your mother's memory. It is not just about fulfilling her dying request that I take good care of you and make sure that you'll grow up a wonderful young lady. It is also because I have come to love you like my own child. I would do anything to help you, protect you, and fight for you. I'll take care of you and the baby. There is no need to worry. But Felicity, I cannot do any of that if you won't let me._

 _Thea is understandably angry that you just left without saying goodbye under the circumstances. But, because I am her mother, who knows her better than anyone, I know that she misses you just the same underneath the indifferent, apathetic front that she puts up to make her look strong and supportive of her brother. I guess she simply doesn't see your side of the story. None of us do. How can we, if you won't let us in?_

 _Yet, believe me when I say that no one in the household misses you more than Oliver. From what I've learned, he was the one that walked away angry first. I understand how that must have made you feel. I know that it may have been the reason why you left the ranch just as quickly as you arrived, without explaining why. I know my son, Felicity. And deep down inside you, I think you know him well enough, too. You've been the best of friends for as far back as I could remember. Please, give him a chance._

 _It's been weeks since the unfortunate incident, and if you see him now – how lonely he has been without you, and how miserable he has been, blaming himself for pushing you away because he had been too immature to let you explain before he impulsively judged you and left – you'd know. You'd know that he is sorry for what happened. You'd know that he earnestly wants to listen now, to understand, no matter how difficult. He doesn't know how, but he wants to try. He told me as much. Oliver loves you. And I know you love him, too. I hope that you could find it in your heart to forgive him for failing to be there for you when you needed him most._

 _The second thing I wanted to you to know is this. Whatever it was that happened to you, whatever it was that you've done, or was done to you, I will always be there for you. I will not judge you. I will be there to help you pick up the pieces and start over. I will be there like your mother had been there for you when your father left without so much as an explanation. I will be there for you like your mother had been there for me when my husband left us for another woman and all throughout the difficult time of the divorce. I will be there for you, now more than ever, as I had been there when your dear mother passed away. And I will be there for your child, Felicity. You don't have to be afraid anymore. You can come home anytime._

 _I worry about you, you know. I worry that you might not have had any pre-natal care as of yet. You should be eating well and sleeping well, and having some form of exercise to keep yourself and your baby healthy. It's around this time that congenital anomaly screening is done, and oh! By now, a sonogram will be able to tell what your baby's gender is – that is, if you want to know. Whatever you decide, please take good care of yourself and your unborn child. None of this is his or her fault._

 _John and Raisa miss you as well. They don't say it out loud, but they do. I wish I could tell everybody in the ranch where you are, but that is not my secret to tell, and I respect that._

 _Felicity, I really hope that when I come to visit you again, you will have changed your mind, and come home with me._

 _With much love,_

 _Moira_

* * *

 _My dear Felicity,_

 _I just had to come see you again today, and I am very sad that you still do not want to come down and see me. I am not as prepared as I was the last time, and I am afraid that as I write hurriedly this time, I may not be able to express my thoughts and feelings as articulately as I usually do. I hope you will understand my utter disappointment, because this is one of those rare occasions when I have gotten my heart broken twice in one morning._

 _You see, Oliver left the ranch today. He did not even say goodbye. That boy! Sometimes I feel like he is so much like his father. Anyway, as I was saying, I woke up this morning and Oliver was gone. He left a note telling me that he was going to Eastern Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer. Eastern Africa! Of all the places in the world! And he has the nerve to tell me that I shouldn't worry about him! That is precisely what I have been doing since I read that… note. He is so lost, Felicity. He's been wallowing in guilt ever since he lost you. I really don't know what to do anymore but wish him well, and that he will find the peace he's been searching for by giving of himself to the service of others. I do not know when he's coming back._

 _Now that you have refused to see me for the third time, I feel like I have lost, not just my son, but also my other daughter. I have done everything I could think of, and still my children move away. I grieve my losses deeply. But, I shall respect your wishes, my dear girl. I think it is best for now to leave you be, and simply to hope and pray that one day you will come to your senses and find your way home. I pray the same for my son._

 _Take good care of yourself, Felicity, and love your child no matter what. He or she has done nothing wrong. When that special day comes, you will discover that there is no greater joy like that of holding your own baby in your arms. I remember so well when Donna told me once that you were the best thing that ever happened to her. Indeed, motherhood is one of the greatest privileges a woman can be blessed with in this life._

 _All my love,_

 _Moira_

* * *

By the time Felicity was done reading all three letters, she was crying like a child. Moira's letters were damp with her tears. She cried because she felt Moira's love wash over her with a tenderness and warmth that made her yearn for her own mother. She cried because she missed them both. She cried because it dawned on her that Moira had had an inkling of the tragedy that had befallen her and had wanted to take her back in spite of it. Most of all, she cried because she regretted not reading the letters seven years ago. She wondered in remorse how her decisions – and her life – could have turned out _very_ differently if she had. However, she also cried for good reason. She sensed that she was being given a second chance at _that_ life. A life surrounded by the people she once loved, still loved. A life in which it was her turn to love her own child, just like Donna and Moira had loved theirs. A life with Emma in it.

"Hey," a voice called out softly but distinctly from behind her.

She bit her lip. She'd recognize his voice anytime, despite the time and space that had separated them. She looked up and saw Oliver looking down at her with an expression that she could only associate with both affection and surprise.

"Hey," she called back, as he knelt down beside her on one knee.

He saw her reddened, swollen eyes, and immediately he knew she'd been crying for quite some time. He couldn't blame her, for he always cried every time he came to visit his mother's grave. He said nothing, even if he wanted her to know how much he appreciated her taking the time to visit his mother.

For the first time since they'd seen each other again at STAR Labs a month ago, Oliver reached out to touch the woman he'd loved for most of his life. He placed his hand on her shoulder and pressed lightly. He hoped she still knew what that meant for them. When she did not flinch or move away, he thought that she probably did. That was enough for him. For now.

* * *

 **A/N: How did you find this one? This is longer than usual, but I hope you still liked it.**

 **I really wanted Moira Queen to be different in this story. There's something special about writing her character as deceased. I've wondered if in the show she had really come out of that brief incarceration a changed woman, and if she had, how differently she would have treated Felicity if she hadn't died by Slade's blade. I wonder, would she have fallen in love with Felicity Smoak? Moira had always known there was something between her and her son, just by the way she looked at him, long before those two ever admitted to being in love.**

 **Posting the next chapter is exciting and dreadful in an ironic kind of way for me. Oliver and Felicity have a talk. That's why. ;-)**


	15. Chapter 15: Over Breakfast

**Emma**

 **Chapter 15**

* * *

"I still can't believe it's you, Lis!" exclaimed Carly. Excitedly, the pretty, dark-skinned woman placed their food and drinks on the table. "You said you came by yesterday? I must have missed you," she told Felicity.

Oliver had suggested that they go grab a quick breakfast before she drove back to Central City. So, from the cemetery they headed to _Carly's Diner_ , which was the only restaurant serving good food in and around Starling Town that was open so early in the morning. After all these years, the big fast food chains in the city like _Big Belly Burger_ still hadn't invested in their part of the state. Carly's family's business was still doing very well.

Oliver and Felicity sat on a table for four at the corner of the room, farthest from the entrance of the diner. There weren't too many people in the diner yet. It was just them, an old man, and another couple in their late sixties who looked like they were from out of town like Felicity. Felicity sat on the chair near the wall across from Oliver.

"Yeah, I did. I was here for lunch. More like a late, late lunch," Felicity replied, smiling back at her grinning old-time friend. It was good for her to see another familiar face, sort of.

Carly almost sat down on the empty chair beside her but thought the better of it. She was a good friend to both of them, having gone to the same high school as they did, but she wasn't that close to either of them, not like Tommy had been. Yet, the fallout between Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak wasn't exactly a secret in Starling. Carly didn't know the details, but she knew enough to be mindful of her boundaries now that she stumbled upon these two having breakfast together after all these years. She did not want to intrude on their privacy.

"Oh, that's because Andy picked me up early to make it in time for our son's soccer game," said Carly.

"So, you and Andy did end up together, huh. And you have a son?" said Felicity.

"Yeah, we did. Andy Jr. is turning seven this year," answered Carly. "It's really good to see you, Felicity. You look amazing! Are you back for good?" she asked, shifting her gaze from Felicity to Oliver and back.

Felicity knew what to say, but she wasn't sure how to say it without giving away information about Emma. She wasn't ready for the entire town to know about her little girl. It was a good thing Oliver came to her rescue.

"Felicity is just visiting. She lives in Central City now," he said.

Carly wanted to ask more questions, hoping to reconnect with her friends further. She opened her mouth, but she changed her mind. Oliver and Felicity looked like they needed to have an important conversation over breakfast without her there. So, she took leave by saying, "Well, I have to get back to work. Deliveries are coming." Looking at Felicity and placing a hand on her shoulder, Carly said, "I hope you can come and visit Starling more often."

"I'll try," Felicity replied. "And it's nice to see you to, Carly."

"Okay then. Enjoy your breakfast! This one's on the house," Carly announced proudly.

"Wow, thanks!" Oliver said to Carly. "How come I don't get free breakfasts when I come by?"

Carly raised an eyebrow at him. "That's coz you hardly come by. Thea comes in here more often, but I guess that's not happening now that she lives in Central City." Carly gave him a pat on the back and said, "Bon appétit," before walking away.

Felicity gave Oliver a scrutinizing look. "You never mentioned that Thea lives in Central City now."

"Oh, yeah, she does. She got a job and moved there about two weeks ago," he explained. "Guess I missed that detail over dinner last night."

Felicity nodded once and then dropped her gaze. Focusing her eyes on the cup of coffee in front of her, she sadly blurted out, "I see. I thought about asking last night, since… you know… her spot at the table was… unusually empty. But I figured, maybe she just didn't want to join us. Didn't want to see me."

Oliver was not able to respond to that immediately. He couldn't lie. Thea still resented Felicity after all these years, out of prejudice, of course. Thea had always taken her older brother's side, against Moira's wiser admonitions. Out of ignorance, too, perhaps. Like him, his sister had no idea why Felicity had chosen to vanish from their lives without a trace. Growing up, Thea used to admire Felicity, and Oliver knew that his sister had always dreamed of them ending up together. He was relieved when it was Felicity that spoke again.

"Can't blame her," she said, sighing. "I was the one that left without saying goodbye."

Felicity still couldn't look him in the eye. She could feel his gaze on her when he suddenly said, "That may be true. But I distinctly remember that I was the one who made that mistake first."

Felicity swallowed hard. This conversation was becoming more and more awkward by the minute. Perhaps breakfast with her ex, her daughter's parent, wasn't such a good idea after all. She should have known better. She took a sip of her coffee, and when she put the cup down, she looked at him and said, "Oliver, I came back because I was ready to have that talk with Emma. It doesn't mean I was ready to have that talk with you."

It was Oliver turn to nod and drop his gaze. Clearly, he was disappointed, not with her, but with himself. He hadn't planned on saying anything that might trigger discomfort or unease for either or both of them. He really just wanted to appreciate her for coming to see Emma and to visit his mother's grave, and also to make sure she didn't do the long drive on an empty stomach. But somehow the conversation led them here, and he didn't know how to redirect or what to say next, except to apologize.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Look, Oliver," Felicity interrupted him and began to explain herself in her classic rambling way, "you don't have to apologize. I just need you to know that I'm not willing to talk about what happened. I… I just can't. I've been trying to put that all behind me for the last seven years. Right now, it's enough for me to know that my little… that Emma is doing very well. Thanks to you, of course. And I am grateful. Truly. Grateful. To you and your family. But I have a life now. A different one, in a different place. I can't go back. _We_ can't go back."

"I understand," replied Oliver, "and I won't bring up anything else, I promise. But I really need you to know how sorry I am for walking out on you that day. I was wrong to do that. I should have listened to what you had to say."

She could see pain and regret in his eyes – those blue eyes that had only ever looked at her with fondness and affection years ago. Now, those eyes bore much suffering and self-loathing. She noticed the tiny, wrinkly lines at the corners of his eyes, and a couple of faint lines across his forehead. It seemed he had gone through a lot in the past years, just like she had. Unlike him, she had the luxury of wearing make-up to hide what seven difficult years had done to her features. She wondered what else he'd done in the past that merited that much self-hatred and anguish. Surely, he couldn't have gone through the same sufferings that she'd had. She wanted to reach for his hand and assure him that she, of all people, could empathize with the kind of darkness that shrouded the human soul with guilt and regret and even fear, but she willed herself not to do it.

Oliver went on to say, "I have lived every single day of the last seven years regretting what I did, and wondering what could have happened if I had done things differently… especially since I found out that Emma's birth mother was you."

"Oliver, please…"

He raised his hands in front of him in his defense and said to her, "That's it. Nothing more. I just wanted to apologize," he said, leaning backwards in his chair.

Felicity nodded and said, "Apology accepted. Thank you. That means… a lot." She took a deep breath to compose herself. It was really hard to hold back tears in front of the man she once loved with all her heart.

Something inside her shifted as she listened to him own up to his fault. She was moved at his humility and honesty, which caused her to release forgiveness at last. She had pushed away the pain of him abandoning her when she needed him most, burying the bitterness deep in the recesses of her heart.

At first, she'd been in denial, blaming every misfortune that had befallen her and the repercussions of their fallout on herself entirely. But in time, and after some therapy, she had slowly admitted that Oliver had hurt her deeply when he turned his back on her, perhaps more deeply than the physical suffering she'd been through and the excruciating pain of childbirth without any loved one beside her. But now that she had freely forgiven him, it was like one of the heavy burdens she'd been carrying for so long had rolled off her back. Other burdens still remained, but those were for another day. She could only deal with so much at one time. Nevertheless, she felt that there was one more thing that needed to be done. So, she mustered some inner courage and spoke.

"I might as well take this chance to apologize to you, too. Like I said, I did run away, without so much as an explanation. Well, you obviously didn't give me the chance, but that didn't mean I had to stop trying. After all, I was the one that came back with…" She closed and eyes and paused to breathe. When she opened them again, she continued, "We were together, and you deserved to know, to understand. I'm sorry."

"Thank you. That's… thank you," Oliver said, nodding. A small smile brightened his face a little, causing Felicity to smile back a little, too.

Their posture shifted. Oliver leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. Felicity's hands, which were on her lap under the table, were now on top of it, fingers intertwined and no longer restless.

"Oliver, please don't ask me anything more. This is all I'm ready for. At this time." She bit her lower lip, expectantly waiting for him to show her a sign that the boundaries she was setting were clear to him.

"Sure." Oliver smiled.

He respected her wishes, but he was hopeful that she did not shut him down permanently. 'At this time' did not mean forever. There was hope. He still cared about her – that much, he was aware of – but there was nothing in their conversations that day and the day before that hinted at her feeling the same way about him still. Maybe it was too late for them to pick up the pieces. Maybe the damage had been done and they had crossed the point of no return years ago. Maybe.

He was holding out hope, though. He could not imagine settling down with anyone else but Felicity Smoak. He wasn't going to marry someone just so that Emma could grow up with a mother, female role model to look up to. He and Emma were enough. He was perfectly content in single-parenting his little girl.

If there was anything that the last two days had shown him, it was that he still loved Felicity, and that if she was willing to give _them_ a chance, he was willing to wait for as long as it took to win her back. He did consider the possibility that it might never happen. For all he knew, she probably had someone special back in Central City already. If being friends was all they could ever be, he was willing to take it.

* * *

They evidently cleared the air after apologies were given and accepted; hence, they were able to enjoy a more relaxed conversation over breakfast. Felicity told him a little more about what she did at STAR Labs, and Oliver kept her updated with the ranch, which hadn't changed much since she left.

Later on, they talked about Emma. Felicity told him she was glad to know that Emma wanted her in her life. She accepted the open invitation to come and visit as often as she could, especially during the holidays. Oliver, in turn, told her that they could also visit her in Central City, since they also planned to visit Thea there at least once a month. There were both not ready to talk about legal stuff yet, so they simply reached a verbal agreement to co-parent Emma without the papers in the meantime. Oliver assured her that Jean Loring, their family's lawyer, was well aware of Emma's background and would be more than willing to look into the legal aspects of their preferred arrangement later on. All she needed to do was to give him the green light.

Oliver paid the bill, and after they said their goodbyes, they drove off in different directions.

Felicity returned to Central City. As she drove, she wondered what was in store for her now that she was in Emma's life. Thoughts of Oliver also wandered into her mind, but she was already an expert at compartmentalizing, so she managed to keep those stray thoughts away the rest of the way, and even in the days that followed.

As far as Oliver was concerned, Emma having her real mother in her life now was perhaps the best thing that happened to his little girl's life since his mom passed away. Emma deserved to be happier. His happiness could take a back seat, as long as Emma could have hers. She may not be his flesh and blood, but he'd raised her for most of her life now. He'd learned to love her as if she were his own, and the circumstances that had led to her being born did not change that.

* * *

 **A/N: So, that's their first talk. Baby steps for now, folks. ;-) As I said, Olicity is endgame in this fic, despite the odds stacked against them.**


	16. Chapter 16: Felicity's Room

**Emma**

 **Chapter 16**

* * *

 **A/N: Hi! There is a six-month time gap between the previous chapter and this one, in case you'd be wondering. Also, if you are reading this fic in this site for the first time, I'm very happy that you decided to do so. Thank you for reading this story. It really MEANS A LOT to me that you are joining me in seeing this fic to the finish. :-)**

* * *

Jealous. Oliver could not believe that he was still capable of being jealous.

After everything he'd been through that had caused him to mature prematurely into a single-parenting older brother a few months short of his thirtieth birthday, he thought he was already immune to this unpleasant, often treacherous emotion. But he couldn't help it. Each time it was their turn to come down to Central City to visit Felicity, they had always run into Ray Palmer, her colleague at STAR Labs, and he'd notice that the guy obviously had a thing for his ex-girlfriend, who also happened to be his little girl's mother. Oliver was well aware that he had absolutely no right to be jealous. He and Felicity were no longer together. That had ended rather bitterly more than seven years ago, when they had both walked away from each other.

Apologies had been given and accepted between them during their talk at the diner six months ago, and they'd been working hard to "co-parent" Emma under a special, internal arrangement that they'd both agreed to, outside the legal process in the meantime. This arrangement was convenient for all three of them, given their circumstances, and it was also working fairly well. Felicity went to visit the ranch every other weekend, while he and Emma came once a month and stayed in Thea's apartment Friday evenings to Sunday afternoon. Mother and daughter bonded over Big Belly Burger meals, strolls in the park, one-on-one computer tutorials, video gaming, movie marathons, and other girlish stuff that Oliver normally wasn't able to do with Emma as an older brother. He loved watching the girls do things together and cooking meals for them whenever they decided to spend their days in Felicity's apartment instead of going out. Everything had been going smoothly as far as those things were concerned, but even then, he felt that there was still something missing in his life and in Emma's. It wasn't until Felicity's last visit that he realized what it was.

* * *

It had been the first time that Felicity had agreed to stay with them over the weekend. Each time she'd come to visit, she had opted to stay in a bed-and-breakfast in Starling Town. But when she had visited two weeks prior, Oliver had convinced her to save her money and just stay with them at the ranch. As she and Emma had watched _Star Wars_ downstairs, he'd been busy fixing up the guest room, which was _her_ old room in the Queen house. It had taken him all afternoon to clean it up and make it modestly livable again. The room hadn't been messy; it was dusty due to disuse, and due to the fact that he rarely ever went into it or cleaned it because that room brought back memories he did not want to dwell on.

When Felicity left, Moira had specifically instructed the entire household not to touch Felicity's room; his mother had always held out hope that Felicity would one day find her way back home. When Moira brought baby Emma home to the ranch, his mother had shared her room with the baby until Oliver came home from Africa when she was already sick and dying. Emma hadn't wanted to be alone in a room, so the little toddler had slept beside Thea at night even after Moira had passed. When Thea left for college, Oliver honored his mother's wish and redecorated the master bedroom into a little girl's room, instead of giving Emma Felicity's old room. On hindsight, Oliver later understood why his mother had been insistent on giving her adopted little girl her own room: Moira had still hoped that Felicity and her little girl would one day be reunited.

The reunion had finally happened, and as Oliver had been tidying up Felicity's room, he'd felt as though his mother was looking down from heaven with a smile on her face. "I gotta give it to you, Mom. When the rest of us had given up hope, you had always been sure of what you hoped for," he had whispered in the silence of the room.

Oliver had looked around and sighed. Nothing much had changed in the guest room. It still looked like Felicity's room, except for the lack of photographs. He had taken them down when he realized that she was never coming back. He had only kept one – his favorite photo of the two of them that John Diggle had taken as he was helping her come down from her horse one day. That snapshot of her in his arms, of her arms around his neck, of them staring deep into each other's eyes with such fondness captured by John's camera – it had never left his wallet to this day.

* * *

That afternoon, Oliver had brought out the linens and Felicity's favorite quilted duvet. He had made her bed and vacuumed the carpet while whistling a happy tune, which he hadn't been aware he was doing until Emma had pointed it out when she happened to pass by on her way to the bathroom for pee break. The little girl had teased him about it, but he had only smirked in response.

After a sumptuous dinner, which was followed by him on kitchen clean-up duty and the girls on bedtime preps, Oliver had showed Felicity to her room. He had opened the door to the dimly lit room that smelled of lavender potpourri, her favorite scent in the world as he remembered. As soon as she sat on the bed, he had realized that bringing her there himself probably had been a mistake. Not only had he witnessed her tearing up and sniffing; he had also sensed how overwhelmed she'd been by a myriad of emotions just being inside her old room, with him standing right there and leaning against the doorpost, staring at her with longing eyes. He had quickly said good night before awkwardness turned into tension.

The thing was, his bedroom was right next to her room, and he could hear her crying softly until around midnight. His heart had ached for her. He had wanted to knock on the wooden wall that separated them, just as they'd done in their younger years whenever they wanted to stay up late and talk without Moira knowing. But he'd been well aware that things were not the same. He and Felicity were no longer together, and things would never go back to the way they used to be. Not after how badly their relationship had ended.

Oliver had been relieved that he was able to walk away from the precious sight of Felicity on her bed. They had spent countless hours doing homework together on that bed, even more hours just talking about their day, their dreams and their future. It was also on that bed that they had first discovered how amazing it was to share a tender touch and a passionate kiss, and on that bed when they had later on agreed about the limits of physical intimacy. Felicity had shyly but honestly opened up to him about her conviction to save sex for marriage, and he had loved her all the more for it. He remembered that instead of being disappointed or turned off, he had felt proud of his girlfriend and impressed by her resolve to do what she believed was right. He had respected her, and he'd told her so. While enveloping her in a loving embrace, he had given her an emphatic speech about how he was sure that she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and how he would wait for her to be ready to be his wife someday.

Except, _someday_ never came. Maybe it never would. All because _that_ fateful, awful day had come first.

That night, Oliver couldn't sleep as he'd listened to Felicity crying on the other side of the wall. He'd remembered the day when Felicity came home from Boston. Pregnant. His world had been shattered to a million broken pieces. He'd been so angry that he just had to leave her sight before he could say something he would regret. He had trusted his girlfriend to keep her promise to be faithful, especially when she left for college. He had never doubted her, until that time when she had decided not to come home for Christmas on her sophomore year and gradually had become more withdrawn. He had sensed that something was wrong, but each time he'd asked her about it, she had told him that she was just stressed out with academic demands. So, he had taken her word for it every single time. Seeing her with a baby bump that he was absolutely sure he wasn't responsible for, he had been bitter. He could not believe that Felicity could cheat on him, especially since she had been the one that had asked for boundaries in their relationship in the first place – boundaries that she had been the first one to cross.

Oliver had done his part in solemnly keeping within those boundaries, until he had lost all hope of them getting back together and crossed that line himself.

* * *

While volunteering for the Peace Corps in eastern Africa, Oliver had had a brief fling. Helena Bertinelli, another volunteer from Europe, had been as miserable as he'd been – and oh, did misery love company. She was an Italian heiress, but she had walked away from the glitz and glamour after losing her fiancé in a war between the Italian mafia and the Russian bratva. Oliver still loved Felicity, but the mere recollection of her name had choked him every time. He hadn't understood how he could miss and hate the same woman at the same time. He'd kept their photograph in his pocket every day, but he had drowned out her memory by being with Helena. In time, Oliver had given in to loneliness and disillusionment and found comfort in the arms of someone he didn't love. He had become fatalistic, thinking that since Felicity had been the first one to break their promise, and that there was no use in hoping for an impossible reconciliation, he could go all in with another woman, come what may.

The affair with Helena, however, had not brought him the comfort he'd been looking for, and hence, had not lasted long. They had both recognized soon enough that a relationship between two people with ailing hearts that hadn't healed properly would never work. They had realized that they'd both taken advantage of each other's weakness and vulnerability, and that there was no coming back from that big mistake. Oliver had walked away from that mistake more damaged than before, because it had added guilt on top of the weight of bitterness he'd already been carrying since the day Felicity disappeared from his life. He had wanted to run away from his situation just as desperately as he had wanted to run away from his heartache two years prior. His mother's letter asking him to come home and take care of little Emma could not have come at a better time.

Having Emma in his life had eased the burden somewhat. Slowly, Oliver had learned how to love again, of the selfless kind that demanded one hundred percent commitment without expecting anything in return. Taking on legal guardianship of Emma had been _his_ choice, and it hadn't taken long for him to discover how unconditional love can heal a battered, broken heart. Emma's love and adoration of her older brother was simple, but it was pure, unadulterated love. Their relationship was not tarnished by unmet expectations or tainted by a record of past wrongs. By the time Oliver read his mother's letter of confession on Emma's seventh birthday, Oliver's heart was well on the road to recovery, ready to forgive and be forgiven should the opportunity arise.

Hearing Felicity crying in the other room that night had been difficult for Oliver. He had wondered if she had anyone like Emma in the past years that had given her a reason to go on, to get up every morning despite the intermittent haunting of past failures. Maybe her best friend Caitlyn had been to her what Emma had been to him. Maybe now, choosing to love Emma was also doing wonders for Felicity. He certainly hoped it did.

Oliver was happy and grateful for their talk at the diner six months ago that had led to their present situation. Felicity's apology for disappearing from his life completely, as well as the forgiveness she had released to him for not hearing her out that day, had significantly allowed the remaining resentment in his heart to wane. There was still a lot they needed to talk about – he knew that. And he hoped that one day she would be ready to give an explanation as to _why_ she had had someone else's child. In all honesty, he no longer took it against her – and still surprised him that he was now capable of loving her in spite of. She may never decide to tell him what he needed to hear, but he was okay with just having her in his life once again, even if it was just as a co-parent for Emma. He wished it were more, but he thought he was fine with the way things were because the three of them seemed happy.

He thought wrong.

* * *

Oliver knew that deep inside his heart he still had feelings for Felicity. The more he and Emma spent time with her – be it in Starling Town or in Central City – the more he cared about her. Only, he had to care about Felicity from a safe distance, with no strings attached.

It didn't help that there was another good-looking, eligible bachelor (who was just as brilliant and funny as she was) always hovering about her. It could be said that Felicity and Ray were a perfect match. They both loved science and technology. They had the same ambition to excel in their field. They both had quirks uniquely their own. In all fairness, Felicity had always been just nice and cordial to the guy, never showing anything beyond the bounds of professionalism and friendship, at least, as far as Oliver could tell. However, the fact that she and Ray did not have a complicated history – for lack of a better term – well, that had only triggered these very uncomfortable feelings inside Oliver each time he would see Felicity and Ray in the same room. Sometimes, Oliver thought that it was just a matter of time before Felicity would realize that she and Ray were perfect for each other and eventually fall for the guy.

If and when that happened, Oliver wouldn't dare get in the way of her happiness. After everything she'd been through, she deserved to be happy. He wanted what was best for her. She'd probably be better off settling down and living a quiet, peaceful life with a great guy like Ray.

Or not.

Sometimes he allowed himself to dream of seemingly impossible things, like getting back together with the only girl he'd ever truly loved, of being a family of three, maybe more.

Emma was sound asleep in the back seat when Oliver drove the truck into the ranch. He was tired, not of another long drive so that his little girl could visit with her mother, but of pining for the woman that may never find out how much he still loved her with all his heart. If only he could see the bigger picture...

* * *

 **A/N: I hope the story unfolding is getting clearer. I would appreciate your thoughts kindly spoken. If you are reading this as a Guest, I hope you will still share those thoughts with me, especially if you are reading this story here just now after following it in another site. Thank you for taking the time!**


	17. Chapter 17: Emma's Father

**EMMA**

 **Chapter 17: Emma's Father**

* * *

"May I join you?" Oliver asked.

Felicity nodded, patting the space beside her on the cushioned swing. She'd been sitting there on the front porch of the ranch house for quite some time, after she had already tucked Emma into bed while Oliver tidied up in the kitchen. Felicity had been sitting quietly by her lonesome, thinking about how her life had changed significantly over the past eight months, since her path crossed with that of the Queens again.

She had also felt like she needed some alone time. Things had been hectic at STAR Labs in the past couple of weeks, and she'd been looking forward to visiting the Queens that weekend. She really did not mind the long drive that Friday afternoon. She had gotten off work earlier than usual and had made it to the ranch in good time, with Oliver and Emma waiting for her for a late dinner. She was tired, but dinner sharing a meal with them had been refreshing for her, especially because John Diggle _and_ Thea – for the first time – had joined them.

Thea had also been due for a visit to the ranch, and Oliver had told Felicity a few days ago that they'd be visiting at the same time so that she would be prepared for it. Even though Thea still avoided every opportunity to be left alone in a room with her and merely afforded her brief and occasional moments of small talk with barely any real eye contact, Felicity was glad to notice that Thea was no longer as indifferent and aloof towards her as before.

Oliver sat quietly beside her for a few minutes. He realized that he had intruded upon her private musing, even though she had let him sit with her, so he thought better to let her be the one to start any kind of conversation on her own terms.

"Thank you for dinner. Everything was delicious," Felicity said at last.

Oliver replied, "You're welcome. I tried to make it special because I was able to get Thea to join us."

"That meant a lot to you, huh?" she asked.

"Yeah," he answered, turning to glance at her with a small smile. "I've always known she'd come around eventually. And you?"

Felicity turned and met his gaze, and she answered, "Oh, yeah. I didn't realize how much I've missed Thea all this time. The last thing I remembered about her, before all of this happened, was how she was still swooning over that boy that moved here from out of state… What was his name? Harper. Yeah, Roy Harper." She chuckled at the memory of Thea's first object of intense infatuation. "It's unbelievable how much she's grown, how much she's changed."

"We all have," Oliver said softly, holding her gaze.

Felicity blinked and looked down, avoiding his eyes on her. She did not disengage from the conversation, however, like she used to months ago, whenever their brief talks wandered into awkward territory. She was finding it easier to converse with Oliver like normal friends did.

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders, saying, "Yeah, I guess we have." She looked up at him again and smiled.

Oliver sensed that it was time to change the subject, so he asked, "You good for tomorrow's thing?"

"Oh, yeah. I… I think so. I've given it a lot of thought, actually. It's for Emma, so… I'm okay with it. No worries," she replied with a shy smile.

During their last visit to Central City, Oliver and Emma had asked Felicity if she'd be willing to join them for a school event, which was happening that Saturday when it was conveniently her turn to come to Starling for a visit. It was the Emma's school's annual Family Day and Mini Fair, and Emma was excited to introduce her birth mother to her teachers and friends. Felicity had asked them to give her time to think about it, and they had obliged politely.

After a week of thought and some words of advice from her best friend Caitlyn, Felicity had decided to give it a go. Not that she hadn't struggled with the thought of being the object of attention, and perhaps even the subject of conversation among strangers and not-so-strangers (considering there might be some from town who had known her from years ago), for she most certainly had struggled for days. But she had convinced herself to stop thinking of herself for a change, and to think of what would make her daughter happy instead. Caitlyn had complimented her, telling her that she was making progress, one baby step at a time.

"Okay," Oliver affirmed her. "But if at any point you feel like it's getting to be too much, just say so. We don't have to stay all day. I've talked with Emma, and she's okay with it."

"Okay, thanks. That would be nice." Her smile widened. She was highly appreciative of his thoughtfulness. As if by instinct, her hand landed on his knee and she gave it a gentle pat.

The innocent, yet sincere gesture did not escape Oliver's notice. He looked at her with an expression on his face that let her know how happy he was that she no longer felt like she needed to keep up her defensive walls in his presence.

A comforting silence fell between them, as they stared deep into each other's eyes. Somehow they both knew that everything would be alright, not just for the next day, but for the days and weeks and months to come.

* * *

The school's Family Day and Mini Fair had been a blast. Oliver, Emma, and Felicity had so much fun, with only a few awkward moments when Oliver or Emma had to introduce Felicity to other children, who found it odd for her to be their friend's "real mommy" or "other mommy." Emma's teachers and most of the parents in attendance had been kind enough to welcome Felicity to the school community, and sensitive enough to know the socially acceptable limits in a friendly conversation, such that they avoided asking too many personal questions. Felicity had been relieved that her initial fears and hesitation were unfounded.

Back at the ranch, they were still telling stories about the fun things they did, the games they'd played, a few items they'd bought, and the interesting folks they'd met. Thea was completely amused just listening to the three of them talk about things that they'd actually done together and already knew. It was as if Thea was merely a silent observer to their very candid conversations. Yet, watching their unconventional family dynamic warmed Thea's heart, and for the first time since Felicity had come back into their lives, Thea thought and felt that the advantages of this set-up far outnumbered the disadvantages, especially when it came to Emma's well-being. Thea recognized that the person she had once looked up to like an older sister (before things between her and her brother went south) deserved another chance, and that Felicity was once again beginning to live up to her beautiful name.

Just when everyone thought that their wonderful day was about to end on a high note, Emma asked Felicity a curious question when the two of them were getting ready for bed.

"Mommy?" Emma paused, second guessing herself.

The brief pause made Felicity smile, though. Emma had started calling her mommy just a couple of months ago, after the little girl asked her if it was okay, and she was learning to love it every time the endearing word left Emma's lips. She recognized that Emma was using the same tone of voice now, and she was very interested about what her daughter was going to ask her this time.

The little girl pulled her blanket towards her chest and clutched the fabric with her fisted hands. "Is it okay if I ask you a question?" Emma bit her lower lip and stared at Felicity in wide-eyed anticipation.

"Sure, kiddo! Go ahead. Shoot," Felicity encouraged her.

"Well, I just got to thinking. Today my friends at school brought along their mommies, or their daddies, or both. I got to bring you _and_ Ollie. I know we're a family, right? Including Thea, who's my older sister. But, you are my mom, just like Moira was my mom. Ollie is my brother who takes good care of me. But why don't I have a daddy?"

Felicity gasped. She wasn't expecting _that_ question. Worse, she wasn't sure she was ready to answer that question. When she was considering whether or not to accept the invitation to come to the event at school, she had been too focused on how it would impact _her_. She hadn't considered that it might lead to a conversation about Emma's biological father. When she first came back to Starling to speak with Emma, she had thought about how to answer that particular question, but the little girl hadn't asked about it then. She had completely forgotten what her answer would have been. It was a good thing that Emma spoke again, because the question rendered Felicity speechless.

"I… I know I must've had a daddy, because yeah… you had to have me with someone, right? But, who was he? Where is he now?" Emma asked with innocent curiosity.

For some reason, she sensed Felicity's unease, so she added, "I've thought about asking you before, but I wasn't sure if I could. You said that your life before was pretty messed up, so… if you don't want to talk about it, it's okay. I don't want to upset you."

"Oh… No, Emma. Please don't think that way. You can ask me anything, and I will try my best to give you an honest answer. You don't have to worry about upsetting me," Felicity responded. "Actually, I don't think you can say anything that would ever upset me, honey, except… of course, if you're being stubborn about something." She smiled at the little girl and ran her fingers through her soft, dark brown waves.

Emma looked up at her mother and said, "Okay. So, what can you tell me about my real father?"

Felicity pulled her closer and put one arm around her shoulders as they both leaned back against the bed's headboard. She sighed and answered, "Your father's name was Cooper. Cooper Seldon. We went to the same school on the other side of the country. He was very smart, but maybe not as smart as me."

Emma giggled at that, but she quickly calmed down. She was excited to hear more. "Was he good-looking?" she asked Felicity.

"What?"

"Was he handsome? I mean, I get that he and you are both smart. Maybe that's why I'm smart, too. I think I pretty much got my good looks from you, but it still would be nice to know if my father was handsome, like Ollie is," Emma quipped with an uncoordinated wink that made Felicity laugh.

"Well, go on," said Emma, encouraging Felicity to continue, and she did.

"Cooper and I were part of a group of students that loved computer stuff. We became friends. But later on, I found out that he wasn't really a good person. I was wrong to trust him at all. He did some… very bad things that were… against the law. And to make things worse, he made me do some of those things too," Felicity explained the best way she knew how. She didn't know how else to say things in a way that a seven-year-old would understand or take.

"That's awfully mean. Making you break the law was a terrible thing to do. You must have been _very_ upset," Emma said emphatically and insightfully.

"Yes, I was. But back then, I was too scared to stand up for myself. I was too weak to fight back." Felicity paused as tears pooled in her eyes. Remembering how powerless she had felt during that difficult time in her life made her chest tighten. She wasn't just talking about how weak she was to refuse hacking for the underground group. It was a good thing Emma was too young to recognize the double meaning in her words.

"Did you ever get caught?" asked Emma.

"No. By some miracle, I never got to see the inside of a jail cell. But Cooper? The police found out and took him away. He died in prison just a few months later… when I was already pregnant with you."

Felicity looked down to check if Emma was okay with knowing that her father had been a convicted felon. She knew first-hand how painful it was to find out that your father was a criminal. She herself had cried for days when Donna had told her on her deathbed that her father, who had abandoned them when she was seven, had ended up in prison. It was cruel how fate intervened and history repeated itself in her life and her daughter's. It had been one of the reasons why she had decided to give up Emma for adoption; she had wanted to spare her own child from having to know that her father was a convicted criminal.

But Emma appeared to be more resilient than she'd been when she was younger. If the revelation had upset her somewhat, Felicity saw no trace of it on her daughter's face or in her eyes. The only thing the little girl said was, "That's too bad. No wonder you decided not to have anything to do him when you had me. I think… I think I understand better why you had to give me up."

Felicity pulled her in for a tighter hug and kissed the crown of her head. What did she ever do to deserve an amazing little girl for a daughter?

"So, you're not disappointed that you'll never get to meet your real father?" Felicity asked.

"Not really," replied Emma. "We wouldn't want him to come back from the dead. That'd be creepy."

They both chuckled, and Felicity's heart warmed even more as Emma hugged her back. The conversation she had dreaded having just minutes ago had turned out better than she expected. She should never have underestimated her daughter. Emma was so much stronger that she had been in her darkest moments.

Just when Felicity thought they were already wrapping up their talk, Emma's inquisitive mind suddenly shifted to second gear and found a way to activate her mouth once more. "Mommy, did you love him?" Emma asked out of nowhere.

Felicity knew that Emma was referring to her biological father. Yet unlike her previous question, this one was easier to deal with. Felicity knew exactly what her answer was.

"No. We were never… together," she answered. She then looked up and stared out the window at the starry, moonlight sky. "I've only ever loved _once_ in my life."

Emma looked up at her mother and studied her face. Now, she was confused. All she knew from books and movies and the way she observed families in real life was that two people who loved each other later on got married and had babies. With a slight frown on her face, she dared asked one more time, "Then, why did you…? How did you end up having me?"

Felicity closed her eyes, just in time to keep the first tear from falling. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath to ground herself. She thought the answer was going to be easy. She thought wrong.

"Emma," softly she began to speak, "the answer to your question is quite… complicated. Will you trust me if I say that you might not be ready for it yet? One day, when you're old enough, I promise to explain everything more clearly. Is that okay?"

The little girl looked at her mother straight in the eye, her lower lip caught between her teeth. After a beat, she said, "Okay. I trust you." She then shifted so that she could wrap both her little arms around Felicity. She buried her face in her mother's bosom and said, "I love you, Mommy."

This time, Felicity's tears fell. It meant the world to her, knowing that her daughter trusted her. Sometimes, she still didn't even trust herself. That was not something that came automatically, especially for someone like her who regretted past choices and failures. Moreover, it was the first time that Emma told Felicity that she loved her, and that after a somewhat difficult conversation. Felicity felt as if she didn't deserve this kind of affection from Emma's pure, tender heart; however, she wasn't going to refuse love this time. After all those years of loneliness and emptiness, she once again experienced how to love and be loved, truly and sincerely, in spite of her past.

"I love you, too, Emma," she whispered affectionately.

* * *

Felicity kissed Emma good night and tucked her in. As she closed the door behind her, she felt as though another huge burden had rolled off her back. She hadn't planned on it happening that night, but she was glad that it did.

Oliver came out of his room to check on Emma, and he met Felicity halfway down the hall as she headed towards her room. Before he could ask her about their little girl, Felicity eagerly told him that Emma was fine and already in bed.

"Oliver," she said, "after you check on Emma, could we maybe… Could you meet me downstairs in the den? I need to… I think I'm ready to have that talk."

She was. Emma's optimism and unconditional love had made her ready, made her brave. Before she ever lost courage once again, now was the perfect time for her to settle, once and for all, the eight-year-old score between her and her ex-boyfriend – the same guy that had raised her daughter like she was his own. He deserved to know the truth.

* * *

 **A/N: Shout out to highlander348 whose recent review helped me enhance this chapter and the next. Thanks!**

 **So, who's excited for Olicity's second talk?**

 **Thank you so much, all of you who are still reading this. It means a lot to me. Thank you also to the Guests who are following, even to the one that left comments expressing that the story isn't making sense so far. You know who you are; I'm just disappointed that FF doesn't allow me to reply to your comments. I just want to say that I don't take it against you for disagreeing with some aspects of the story and for disliking the Felicity in this story. I also want to thank you for politely expressing your sentiments. Not all readers with dissenting opinions are able to keep themselves from being mean.**


	18. Chapter 18: Regrets

**EMMA**

 **Chapter 18: Regrets**

* * *

 **A/N: I'm sorry for the delay in posting this. RL has been tough these past few days, what with troubles at work and my son getting sick. Also, this chapter was the most difficult to write, technically and emotionally.**

 **Warning: This chapter implies and hints at past abuse, so if that is a trigger for you, you might want to skip the third part or skip the whole chapter altogether. You won't get the initial reveal though, but the choice is entirely up to you. I have left enough clues in previous chapters that would lead you to the same conclusion, so if you are still reading up to this point, I think that you really do not mind the content.**

 **I believe this is the update that most readers have been waiting for, so I will keep you in suspense no longer.**

* * *

Oliver was pleased that Felicity was the one who had asked that they talk, finally, and even more pleased when she had picked just the right place for them to do so – the den. He knew exactly what it meant to them years ago; he could only wish that it still meant the same to her.

The den in the Queen's ranch house had been _their_ place. Growing up together they had spent countless hours bonding as friends and as more than friends there. It was the place where they weren't allowed to be pretentious. They had come up with an unspoken rule: when you came to the den, you had to be willing to be yourself, to be honest and, when necessary, vulnerable. Oliver sensed that when Felicity asked him to meet her in the den to talk, it was going to be _the_ talk. He knew it wasn't going to be a walk in the park, and he had mixed emotions about it. He was looking forward to it because he needed closure for that particular episode in their lives, but he was also dreading it because he knew that the secrets she had kept from him must be so terrible to have driven her away for many years.

"She asleep?" Felicity asked Oliver, who was just getting settled on the bean bag beside hers on the floor of the den.

"Yeah, very soundly," he answered. "She must have fallen asleep right after you left the room. She was already in dreamland when I checked on her."

Felicity sighed and smiled. "It's been a long day. She must have been really tired." She paused, considering how she should proceed. Telling herself not to back out of the situation, she decided that she should skip the small talk and go straight to the point before she lost the nerve.

"She asked me about her father tonight," Felicity told him gently. She turned to look at his reaction to what she just said, and she saw how surprised he was.

"Did she?" Oliver said, as his forehead crinkled. "That's a first. She never asked me about it before."

Felicity pursed her lips and looked away. Her attention was momentarily captured by the framed pictures on top of the spinet piano. There were several photographs there, but her eyes landed on a black and white picture of Oliver waist-deep in water with his arms extended, inviting a four or five-year-old Emma to jump off the edge of a swimming pool into his strong, muscular arms. He and Emma were both grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying what looked like a bright, summer day.

Felicity's heart was filled with inexplicable joy and warmth at the sight. It was certainly a glimpse of how much Oliver and Emma loved each other and how strong their bond had grown in the last five years. Felicity was a also tad bit jealous, regretting that she had missed so much of her daughter's life, especially the important milestones that Emma could and should have marked and celebrated with a mother. Nevertheless, a soothing feeling of calm reassurance washed over her and chased that jealous feeling away swiftly. She was grateful and relieved at the thought of how blessed Emma had been all this time for having the Queens raise her, Oliver specifically. Her best friend turned ex-boyfriend had done a marvelous, impressive job.

"Well," Felicity finally responded, turning her gaze back to Oliver, "I can't blame her for not asking. She's had a wonderful brother loving her and raising her all this time. No wonder Emma hasn't asked about her biological father. She must be content with having you in her life."

 _Emma must be content with having me in her life._

Oliver's heart soared inside his chest at those words. The thought of Felicity recognizing his efforts at practically single-parenting Emma as her older brother in the last five years was perhaps the best compliment he has ever received in his life. It was nice to know that someone else, other than Thea and John, cared to notice. It definitely made his day that the compliment now came from the woman he'd loved. Still loved. He was elated, much too elated to find the words to respond.

Felicity added, "Thank you, Oliver. For everything you've done for Emma. You were there for her when I couldn't be. And more importantly, you loved her like she was your own."

He nodded and smiled, saying, "She is. I've never thought otherwise."

This time, Oliver was the one that looked away. Focusing on one of the pictures on top of the piano – the one of him beside his mother who was carrying a cute little toddler on her hip – he reminisced the day at the airport when Emma had become a part of his life.

"When I came home from Africa and met Emma for the first time, I felt completely inadequate to be a legal guardian, especially to a two-year-old girl. I actually had no idea what that meant until Mom passed away a few months after. I didn't' think I could do it. But, Emma made it easy." He paused, chuckling at a heart-warming memory of Emma planting her first kiss on his cheek that day. "I know this might sound cheesy or cliché, but really, she had me at 'hello.' She's the sweetest."

"Yes, she is," Felicity replied affirmatively. "I didn't think we would reconnect so easily. You know, I used to think she'd hate me for giving her up. It's one of the reasons why I didn't even try to look her up, and why I'd waited too long to come and see her after the two of you came to Central City. I was scared that she wouldn't want to get to know me at all. It was tough thinking that your own flesh and blood must have thought you abandoned her for flimsy reasons." Felicity paused and sighed. She couldn't believe she was once again opening up to Oliver after all these years. I felt liberating. It felt like home. "But Emma…" she went on to say, "She has this knack of making people around her comfortable. She makes it so easy learn what it means to love and be loved."

Oliver huffed out a breath and grinned in agreement. "She really does," he added confidently. He looked at her with so much adoration that she had to look down to avoid the intensity of his gaze. This was the Felicity that he'd always known – the friend that he had fallen in love with before everything in their lives went south. "I'm glad you feel that way about her, Felicity. I think that having you in her life right now is doing her a world of good. I've never seen Emma this happy."

 _Having me in Emma's life made her happy._

Felicity appreciated his vote of confidence enough to look up at him again, and she could tell that he was sincere. For a split second she reconsidered what she was about to reveal to him, but seeing the earnestness in his eyes, she was persuaded that she had to take the chance and be honest with him once and for all.

"Well, that makes two of us. Happy, I mean," she remarked truthfully. She can't recall a time in the last eight years when she'd been this happy for an extended period of time.

Oliver enthusiastically added, "Make that three. I'm really, really happy that you're back."

His smile faded somewhat when Felicity's countenance suddenly fell, and he wondered what had just crossed her mind that made her beautiful smile disappear. He wanted to reach out and touch her hand to reassure her that this was a safe place, a safe time when she could open up at her own pace, on her own terms. But he thought the better of it and waited.

After a minute of silence, Felicity looked at him and asked with searching eyes, "Really? I mean, are you really happy? Because after I tell you what I'm about to tell you, that might change. I'm afraid you'd see me differently. Just like that day when I came home…"

 _She was afraid I'd see her differently._

The thought broke Oliver's heart. He'd always thought that he had broken her heart when he walked away without giving her the chance to explain how she had gotten pregnant. But hearing her verbalize it now, hearing her confess that she had seen contempt in his eyes that day when she arrived with a baby in her belly? It tore him apart. He wanted to tell her once again how sorry he was, and to assure her that he wasn't going to walk away this time – no matter how painful her story would be to listen to. Yet, before he could apologize a second time, Felicity spoke.

* * *

"Oliver, I understand why you reacted the way you did back then. It took me a really long time, but I get it now. I must have been too wrapped up in my own pain that I had taken for granted how you would feel when your girlfriend _suddenly_ came home pregnant without so much as a warning. It was childish _and_ selfish of me to have left without saying goodbye, without explaining what happened, and to expect only your sympathy and not your pain… or your anger. And I know I've already apologized for disappearing from your life just like that, but I can't say it enough. I truly hope that you can forgive me."

"Felicity…"

Oliver wanted her to know that he'd already forgiven her, even before she had asked for it that day at Carly's Diner.

"I should have been honest with you from the start," she continued, "from the very first time I realized that I had gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd. You and I… We weren't just _together_. You were my best friend. I was so scared and confused, but I… I realized that I shouldn't have kept it from you that I was in trouble."

Oliver frowned slightly as he tried to process what she was saying. _She had been in trouble, and he hadn't known. What kind of friend was he? Was that why she had found comfort in someone else and cheated on her?_

"What kind of trouble?" he asked curiously.

"Remember, when I went back to MIT on my sophomore year, I told you that I joined a student group?"

He nodded, as he retrieved the memory.

"Well, it turned out… it wasn't just a regular campus organization. The guys that I hung out with, including my roommate Alena… they were hacktivists. They hated the system and used their knowledge of computers and the Internet for illegal and criminal activities. By the time I realized that I had gotten involved in some illegal stuff, too, it was too late, and they had used that to threaten me against leaving the group or telling the police or the feds. I was so afraid they'd ruin my life and I'd lose everything I'd been working so hard for."

"Was that why you became so distant? Why you decided not to come home for Christmas?" Oliver asked.

"Yes," Felicity answered, her lips quivering. "They needed me for a sophisticated hack. When I said no, they threatened to tell the scholarship committee about my previous illegal activities if I didn't cooperate."

"Felicity…"

Oliver wanted her to know how sorry he was that she had to go through all of that alone. How could he have known if she hadn't been honest with him? Had he known, he would have pulled his savings together or borrowed money from his mom and hopped on a flight to Boston in a heartbeat. Maybe he should have, the moment he suspected that something seriously wrong had been going on with his girlfriend. He should have been there to protect her and defend her from those who were taking advantage of an innocent country girl one or two years younger than them.

If only he could turn back the hands of time.

* * *

Felicity continued to explain, "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I am very sorry for not telling you everything, before it was too late. I'm sorry I kept these from you, and then expected that you would just welcome me back into your arms with nothing but sympathy and understanding when I had nowhere else to go." She looked at Oliver with regret in her eyes. "I've already apologized before for vanishing without a trace. Now I'm asking you to forgive me for not being honest with you in the first place… and for not having faith in _us_ , enough to believe we could walk through the darkness together. I should have… I should have trusted you."

Oliver replied, "I'm so, so sorry you had to go through all of that alone, Felicity. I can say that I wish you would have told me. But all of that is water under the bridge now. I…" He paused, shaking his head in disbelief. "I had no idea. All along I thought that you had distanced yourself because… because there was someone else… that you'd met someone special. I'd taken a risk when I let you go, so that you could pursue your dreams. I… I couldn't bring myself to ask, because I was afraid you'd tell me that my worst fear had become a fact. So, I just carried on as if nothing was wrong, wishing that everything will be okay if I just gave you the space you needed. But when you came home…" His voice trembled and faded.

"Oh, Oliver…" Felicity responded, "I may have been in deep trouble then. But it wasn't because there was someone else. You were the love of my life. I may have done stupid things back then, but I have _never_ cheated on you. _Ever_."

Her confession of innocence from infidelity came at him like a mighty rushing wind. It roared and bore into his ears with a forceful intensity.

 _She has never cheated on me._

Felicity may have kept secrets, but she had never lied to him. Her confession implied two significant things: that she loved him faithfully (perhaps until now), and that her pregnancy had been the result of having fallen victim to a horrific, hideous deed.

Within seconds, Oliver's face flushed red as blood rushed from his numbing limbs to his head. He felt his chest constrict as his heart began to pound in his chest like drum beats at the call of war. His head began to spin, and he felt as if he could no longer breathe.

The love of his life had been hurt, and he hadn't been there to protect her. What was worse was that he had maliciously accused her of cheating on him, and he had believed it to be true for years. He had even gotten Thea and Tommy on his side without them hearing hers. All along, his bitterness and misery had been based on a self-conceived lie. How quickly he had judged her then! How foolish he was to have doubted her without proof! How did he not even consider the possibility that she had been a victim and not a villain?

Who had done this to her? Had the wicked deed gone unpunished all these years? He hated those thoughts with all his might. They made his blood boil. Whoever it was that dared lay a hand on Felicity, he was going to find the creep and make him pay.

Oliver's rage and self-loathing gradually became evident to Felicity as the silence stretched between them. She could still read his tells – the way his teeth were grinding and his jaw was clenching, the way his thumbs rubbed against his forefingers and his knuckles turned white, the way his chest heaved unevenly and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. This was exactly what he had looked like that day he'd seen her pregnant, and she never forgot.

When Felicity told him earlier that she was ready to talk, she knew that she ran the risk of him thinking differently about her, of things between them changing once again. She also knew that he might blame himself for her shame, and that because of it, he might push her away and retreat to the isolation of Guilt Land. She closed her eyes and let the tears in her eyes fall. She was sure that if he really hadn't changed after all these years, his next move would be to turn away and leave…

…in three, two, one.

When she opened her eyes, Oliver was still there.

It seemed he had shifted in place and was now kneeling on the floor, crouching low with his head down and his hands clutching the back of his neck, sobbing like a child in pain.

* * *

 **A/N: Now we are beginning to get answers to the difficult questions. Oliver is, and he does not like it one bit. We can hold out hope, though, because this time he did not walk away. We will find out more in the next chapter.**

 **Please know that I have tried my best to write this out as cleanly and respectfully as I can as someone who does not approve of abuse or tolerate it. But it does happen in real life, and the consequences are dire and ugly, and I believe that I can help expose its vileness by writing strongly against it. It's too bad that a few readers in another site gunned down this fic too soon instead of giving it a chance. From the very beginning, I promised myself that I would handle this sensitive subject as discreetly and respectfully as possible. I hope I did it justice. But then again, I cannot please everybody.**

 **Thank you once again for coming along this journey this far. It means a lot.**


	19. Chapter 19: Truth Sets Us Free

**EMMA**

 **Chapter 19: Truth Sets Us Free**

* * *

 **A/N: This is the continuation of "the talk" where the rest of Felicity's (and Oliver's) secrets are revealed. This is the longest chapter in this fic so far.**

 **The same warning I tagged in Chapter 18 about references to past abuse, which might be a trigger for some readers, applies to this chapter. It is really up to you if you will skip this and wait for the next chapter or not. But allow me to say that Felicity's past experience is revealed here without going into concrete, vivid detail, and that I have tried my best to write it with tact and in good taste. So, without further ado...**

* * *

The only thing that got Oliver to stop sobbing was the feeling of her hand on his shoulder, a gentle squeeze that ironically jolted him out of his emotional outburst.

Realizing that Felicity had been taken advantage of and hurt (in a way he could not even begin to imagine) had stirred up a host of undesirable emotions – pain, remorse, regret, rage – feelings that he was finding difficult to control. He pictured the woman he loved, broken and bruised, frightened and alone, trembling in a corner somewhere thousands of miles away from his comforting arms. He berated himself for not being there to protect her and fight for her. He blamed himself for the eight years that he had wasted, thinking that she'd been unfaithful to him. He wanted to punch something or throw the nearest object within reach. He wanted to run and scream. He remained rooted on the spot, however, crying in devastation instead.

"Oliver…" Felicity spoke his name like a prayer, and it made him begin to calm down. "Hey, please… say something."

His sobs slowly became sniffles, and after a minute, he turned and looked at her over his shoulder. He saw that she was already kneeling on the floor behind him on his right side. She must have moved from the bean bag to his side sometime when he'd been crying. His vision was a bit hazy because of the tears, but he could see enough of her face to notice that she'd been crying too.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, her voice shaking a little, as she gave his shoulder another squeeze.

Shaking his head, he replied honestly, "No. I… I have a lot of things I want to say to you, but I… I don't know where to start."

Oliver was about to cry again when he felt her tugging at his arm. She helped him stand and led him to the couch. As they sat down side by side, he wiped away the tears on his cheeks with the sleeves of his shirt.

Felicity gave him a pat on the knee. "How about you start by saying that you accept my apology?" she suggested, wiping her tear-stained cheek with the back of her other hand. She flashed him a small smile to encourage him to respond.

Oliver looked at her, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I forgive you," he replied, consciously attempting to steady his voice and his breathing. "I forgive you for keeping secrets, pushing me away when you needed help the most, and disappearing from my life all this time without an explanation. But…" He paused, looking down for a moment to avoid her gaze. Mustering courage to keep going, he put his hand on her hand, which was still on his knee. Intertwining their fingers, he looked up and met her tender gaze. "But I need your forgiveness, too," he told her with pleading eyes.

"Oliver, you don't have to-"

"Yes, I do," he interrupted her gently, yet she saw in his eyes how serious he was. "I've done you wrong. What happened between us wasn't be all on you. You don't have to carry the burden on your shoulders by yourself. Let _me_ take responsibility for _my_ failures." He paused, noticing a tear rolling down her cheek. He reached up to her face and brushed it away with his finger. "I didn't give you a chance. The benefit of the doubt. I walked away in anger instead of listening to what you had to say. And for a very long time, I resented you because… because I thought…"

Oliver saw her look down and blink, letting fresh tears fall on her lap. He continued, "Please, forgive me for thinking that you cheated on me. I stopped trusting you, too. I stopped believing in _us_. I'm sorry."

Felicity was the one overwhelmed with intense feelings now. Hearing the confession of the only man she'd ever loved – it hadn't surprised her. On the contrary, it confirmed what she had feared the most ever since she'd decided to come home from Boston – that hehad believed she had indeed cheated on him. Nothing could be farther from the truth, but she really didn't blame him for thinking that way. She couldn't. She had realized a while back that Oliver would inevitably have thought this way because it was partly her fault; she hadn't been honest about what happened, and she didn't trust him enough to tell him. Her failure had given him reason to doubt and distrust her.

Nevertheless, having been aware of all these did not lessen the blow caused by his admission. It still hurt hearing from his own lips that he had believed she was capable of becoming being unfaithful. What else could she do, though? What was done, was done.

Yet, here he was now, asking her to forgive him for not trusting her just like she hadn't trusted him. The earnestness and humility written all over his face gripped her heart. The fact that he, too, was taking responsibility for their falling out all those years ago was something that she really wasn't demanding from him, but she appreciated it just the same. She could feel hope rising from deep within her.

"I forgive you, Oliver," she replied. Taking a deep breath, she added, "We were in love, but we were both immature. I guess… we needed to learn our lessons the hard way."

Oliver nodded in agreement, as he squeezed her hand that he held in his. He couldn't agree with her more.

He also wanted to add that he thought God was giving them a second chance. Seeing each other again after eight years of no contact was not mere coincidence. Raising the biological daughter of the woman, whom he had once planned on marrying, wasn't either. But he held his tongue, thinking that Felicity probably wasn't ready to just pick up the pieces of their shattered relationship just like that. Sure, she was opening up about her past; that didn't mean she wanted to get back together with him. No, not like he did.

In the past several months that Felicity had become part of his and Emma's lives, he'd been falling in love with her all over again. A lot of things had changed with her. She had changed. And yet, he still found her amazing. She had become even more beautiful and brilliant, despite the hardship she'd had to go through. She was kind and thoughtful. She was passionate about her career and knew what she wanted out of life. The way that she had survived and made a life of her own had made him prouder of her than ever. She was also a natural when it came to Emma, making him wonder at times why she ever doubted that she would be a suitable mother in the first place. Oliver loved this new version of Felicity even more, and he hoped against hope that heaven would grant him another chance to win her back.

He stared at her with loving eyes, taking in every inch of her face. She had changed the way she fixed herself. The long blonde tresses that she used to braid had been replaced by layered, shoulder-length hair that she often held up in a ponytail. She was also wearing glasses now, which made her look even smarter than she already was. She also wore make-up now, and often put on nail polish, sporting a variety of colorful shades, which were different every time she or they came to visit. But that night, her hair was down, and her glasses were nowhere in sight. Oliver thought she couldn't be prettier.

To him, Felicity was a precious treasure, a rare gem that needed to be treated with utmost care and whole-hearted affection. Why on earth would someone touch her and break her? Who had done such a cruel thing to her? Such thoughts rekindled some of the anger that he had previously suppressed. Before he knew it, he was already asking the questions that were difficult to ask. He really needed some answers.

* * *

"Felicity, is it okay to ask about what happened?" he asked.

She was taken aback a bit. She thought they were already wrapping up their talk on a positive note, and she was no longer expecting him to ask about details. She was about to pull her hand back, but he held it firmly and refused to let her go. She took that as a clear sign that he was ready to listen and that he wasn't going anywhere, whatever she was able to tell him.

"Yeah," she replied softly. "You deserve to know."

Oliver told her, "You don't have to tell me everything. I promised I won't ask too much, and I'll respect it if you choose not to answer something you're not comfortable about answering."

After taking a deep breath to steady herself, Felicity nodded, indicating that it was okay for him to start asking.

"Who'd done it?" Oliver asked. "Was it that guy, Myron, the one who invited you to join the group?"

"No," Felicity answered. "It was Cooper. Cooper Seldon, a senior, and the leader of the group. He'd been hitting on me from the very beginning, but I had managed to keep him at a safe distance with Alena's help. But after that hack that I did for them during the holiday break, he became bolder. He used it as leverage against me when I didn't respond to his advances, so I stopped attending the meetings."

"If you stopped going, how did he…?"

"Cooper knew where Alena and I lived. One night, he showed up at my dorm apologizing, telling me that he'd realized how wrong he was for the way he'd been treating me. He offered a truce and asked if we could start all over again and try to be friends. On hindsight, I should have known he was up to something, because of all the nights he could have knocked at my door, it was the night that Alena was spending the weekend with her cousin in Connecticut. He must have found out somehow."

"Hey, you can't blame yourself. You couldn't have known," Oliver told her, giving her hand a squeeze. He hadn't let go of her still.

"I hated myself for not being more careful. I don't know how many times I've scolded myself for deciding to trust him and letting him into my room that night." Felicity's voice wobbled and faded at her last few words. She was at the brink of tears, as she recalled what happened that fateful night. The only things keeping her anchored was Oliver's firm grip on her hand, the comforting warmth of his presence, and the compassion she could read in his eyes.

After a few seconds, she continued retelling the story. "Cooper knew that I didn't drink, so he brought some ginger ale as peace offering. I didn't think there was any harm in that, so I let him in. He promised he'd go before we finished one can." She swallowed hard before she spoke again. "He must have put something in my drink without me noticing it, because my can wasn't even half empty when I began to feel strange. I knew… something bad was happening, but… I… I was too weak… and disoriented… to fight back. I…"

Felicity began to cry. This time, she was the one sobbing. She hadn't realized how painful and difficult it was to relive such a horrific experience. She had told no one except the counselor that had helped her for a time when she finished college in Central City. Oliver was the first significant person in her life that she had opened up to about the incident that had changed her life radically and permanently.

"I'm so sorry. I should have seen it coming," she cried.

"Shh… Felicity, it's not your fault," Oliver whispered, in an attempt to comfort her. His eyes were also tearing up, but he told himself to be strong for her. He was the one that had asked; he shouldn't be the first one breaking down.

Oliver's arm instinctively wrapped around her upper body and pulled her to his side. He didn't think it was an invasion into her space, and because she did not flinch or pull away, he didn't bother about asking for her permission or making a big deal out of a sincere gesture on his part. She needed to know that he was there for her.

"Oliver," Felicity began to speak again in between sobs, "I'm so sorry. I wasn't able to… to keep my promise. I promised to save myself… for you… on our wedding day. I… wasn't… strong enough to do it. I failed you. I failed us."

"No," Oliver replied tenderly. "You don't have to be sorry for something that wasn't your fault. You didn't choose what happened to you." And then his tears fell, too. "If there's anyone who failed to keep a promise, it was me."

"What do you mean?" Felicity asked gently, still sniffling but somewhat confused. She wasn't angry; she just needed to hear his explanation. She straightened up a bit from having leaned on his shoulder and pulled away a little to get a good look at his face.

"After our fallout, I left for Africa to volunteer for the Peace Corps. I met someone there, who was just as lost as I had been. We… we had a brief affair. It was a big mistake, because I was still hurting, still angry. I had no business being in a relationship when my heart was full of bitterness and pain. Looking back, I think I did it only to spite you, which was crazy, because you had no way of knowing that I was acting like an idiot just to get back at you. So, if there's anyone who had failed to keep his promise, it was me, not you. If there's anyone who needs to ask for forgiveness, it's me."

"Oliver…"

 _If there's anyone who failed to keep his promise… it was him._

If the tables had been turned and Oliver had confessed this to her eight years ago, her old self would have had a hard time accepting his apology. She would have resented him, and perhaps, she may have also walked away like he did, without waiting for an explanation. But there was something about being broken that humbled a person and allowed her to show compassion. There was something about having gone through shame and sorrow that gave a person the capacity to forgive someone who is sincerely asking for it. Felicity felt it in her bones.

* * *

She took a good look at Oliver and decided that there was no point in holding a grudge or taking offense. Now she understood the sadness and sullenness in his eyes that she had noticed every once in a while whenever Emma wasn't around. Apparently, he too had suffered for far too long. In all the years that they had been apart, she had thought that he had moved on with his life, perhaps had finally settled down with someone else. She had no idea that just like her, he had been stuck in a miserable rut and couldn't get out. She hadn't been the only one struggling. He had been, too. She hadn't been the only one who couldn't move forward. He had been, too. She didn't have the right or the moral high ground. Neither did he. They both had made foolish choices that ruined their relationship and their lives. How could she not forgive him?

"Oliver, it's okay," Felicity said to him as she disentangled her hand from his, and with it, cupped the side of his tear-stained face. "We've both made mistakes. I forgive you, as you forgive me. It's done." She looked him straight in the eye and added, "I think now we can move on, move forward, for both our sakes, and especially for Emma's sake."

Oliver closed his eyes, relieved at her response. When he opened them again, he smiled at her and said, "You're right. Thank you. I feel like the weight of the world just rolled off my back."

Felicity smiled back at him. "Yeah, me too. I feel like I can breathe again, really breathe."

She brought her hand back down to where his hand was on his lap, and instantly, he took it. They sat in silence for a few minutes, just basking in the freedom that they'd both just found.

Suddenly, Oliver remembered something that he'd been meaning to ask her before their talk had been redirected to his love affair in Africa. "Felicity, do you mind if I ask you one last question?"

"Not at all."

"Did you ever press charges against him?" he asked. He had to know. He had to know if the person responsible had paid for his crime and if Felicity had gotten justice for what was done to her.

Felicity sighed. She looked at Oliver with sadness in her eyes and answered, "I didn't have to."

His crinkled brows and narrowed eyes told her that he didn't quite understand her answer, so she explained.

"At first I was too scared to tell anyone, not even Alena. The doctor that treated me at the campus infirmary suspected as much and tried to convince me to press charges. But going to the police was out of the question because I knew that the moment I did that, Cooper would not hesitate to report my previous illegal activities."

"Later on, when I found out I was pregnant, things changed. I had to think about what was best for me and my baby, and I knew that the best thing for us was to come home to Starling. I decided that before I came home that summer, I needed to do the right thing and get justice for what happened to me. Coming home meant giving an explanation for how I'd gotten pregnant, and to do that, my story had to come out. I couldn't leave without pressing charges in Boston where it happened. But when I finally went to the police, it was too late. I'd already known that Cooper had been arrested for illegal hacking, but the police informed me that he had died in jail when he accidentally got caught in the middle of an altercation among inmates even before his trial proper started. I couldn't press charges anymore."

Oliver didn't know which was worse – finding out what happened to his girlfriend eight years ago, or finding out that the person to be held accountable could no longer pay for his crime. Felicity would never get justice, and that made him livid.

He suddenly let go of Felicity's hand and detached himself from her. He was fidgeting on the couch, unsure of what he was supposed to do next. His hands balled into fists, and he clenched them until his knuckles turned white and his fingernails dug into his palms. He shut his eyes closed as he tried to get his breathing under control. He was furious.

Soon, he was pacing in the den, and Felicity could sense his rage. "Oliver, please come sit down." She stood up and walked towards him in an attempt to get him to calm down. "Please, say something."

Before she could say anything more, Oliver picked up a picture frame from the top of the piano and flung it against the wall opposite them. The sound of broken glass tore through the silence of the night. He darted across the den and ran out of the house into the cold outdoors.

"Oliver, wait!" Felicity cried out. In her haste, she pulled a throw blanket from the nearest couch in the living room, wrapped her upper body in it, and ran after him in the blackness of night.

* * *

 **A/N: I cannot even begin to imagine how a victim of past abuse and the how the significant other of said victim can cope with the pain and the heartache that are brought about by such a wicked act. I have tried to write with empathy, and I can only hope I have done justice to this story. If I made you cry, I hope you don't take it against me. If the story has made you uncomfortable, I hope it has only made you rethink about how we, human beings, can stand up against such criminal acts even through the art of writing. If this has touched your heart, I hope that you can reach out to someone who is suffering (even if the circumstances may not be exactly the same) and show compassion on that fellow human being.**

 **To the Guest who expressed concern about the tag at the beginning of Chapter 18, I need to understand more what you mean. Where I come from, the two things you pointed out are often used interchangeably. I hope that you can enlighten me about the difference you mentioned by sending me a private message (PM). Thank you for reading, complimenting, and expressing your concern. I appreciate it.**

 **I just want to thank all of you readers once again for following this story. I mean it. It's turning out to be quite a journey. Shout out to malafle and mjf2468! Thank you for your encouraging words. :-) I hope to finish this story before the year ends.**


	20. Chapter 20: Closure

**EMMA**

 **Chapter 20: Closure**

* * *

She found him in the stables, sitting on the hay-covered ground across where his horse Speedy was kept. She had gone there looking for him on a hunch and was amazed that after all these years, it was still his go-to place whenever he was upset and wanted to be alone. She joined him on the hay uninvited, but he didn't move away or tell her to leave him alone. Leaning against a wooden wall, they sat there beside each other in companionable silence for almost half an hour. The faint glow of the moon coming in through the window was their only source of light.

She could hear him breathing. Thinking. Agonizing. She wanted to help ease the burden by telling him that she was safe now, that there are no threats to her well-being, and that she'd been coping and doing her best to move on after her trauma. But she chose to wait. And she chose rightly.

"I should've been there for you," Oliver finally spoke. His voice was soft but course, laced with much regret. She felt the emotion in his tone, and she wondered how just a few words can carry so much pain.

Felicity did not know what to say. She thought of telling him that it wasn't his fault. She considered telling him to stop blaming himself, but he knew that it was pointless, now that he was overcome by emotion. She kept quiet, choosing instead to allow him to get the anguish off his chest. She knew he was old enough and smart enough to figure it out for himself. He just needed time.

After a while, he spoke again. "I know it's mean and cruel for me to say this, and it goes against everything we were taught as kids in church, but… Cooper got what he deserved. I hope that jail time, no matter how brief, made him taste even just a fraction of the pain he'd caused you."

Felicity sighed. His words – those were exactly the same things that had gone on inside her head when she had learned about Cooper Seldon's demise. She hated him for years, but what she hated more was the fact that he hadn't faced justice and suffered the consequences of what he had done to her. Eventually, though, her hatred began to wane. The counseling had helped. The companionship and concern of her new friends in Central City had helped. The confidence she had regained when she graduated at the top of her class and was hired by no less than Dr. Harrison Wells of STAR Labs himself had helped. But what significantly helped her overcome her pain, calm her fears, and heal her from hatred was love.

When she began to love Emma and Emma began to love her, she was set free in so many ways. When Oliver first forgave her and she forgave him eight months ago at Carly's Diner – despite his limited knowledge of her past circumstances – her life had taken a pivotal, positive turn. Since then, she'd been learning that she had more blessings in life to be thankful for, and that wallowing in self-pity and unforgiveness robbed her of the joys those blessings gave.

She had realized that Cooper had not really taken everything from her. She had a job and a promising career. She had friends and a supportive boss. And she had family again. She was no longer alone. She had also appreciated how the love of God and family can mend a broken heart and a broken life. How she had been reunited with Emma and reconciled with Oliver was truly a miracle that was not of her own doing, and she was grateful that everything was now working together for good. She was just unable to see the big picture before, because she was consumed by the darkness of her tragic past.

"But I guess," Oliver went on to say, "it's pointless now to want to make him pay. You didn't get justice in this life, but where he'd gone, he's already suffering for his crime, if he did not have a change of heart, which I doubt he did." Usually, Felicity was the one that spoke in sentence fragments, but this time Oliver had his chance.

Felicity sensed that it was the right time to respond. "I knew you'd figure it out sooner or later, but I didn't think it would happen so soon. Guess you're all grown up now," she told him with a mild chuckle.

Oliver let out a breath and chuckled, too. "Guess so." He looked at her, the moonlight casting shadows on her pale skin, and she became hopeful at his change in mood. "I'm sorry for running off like that. I wasn't walking away from you, promise. I just needed to blow off some steam. You didn't need to see me throw a tantrum."

"It's quite all right," she replied. "I understand… exactly… how you felt. I was angry, too. For a _very_ long time." And then she teased him, "The only difference is, _I_ don't start throwing things when I'm mad."

"No, that's not you," he affirmed her. He grinned, and she could see his pearly whites in the dim light. "You just run away and vanish without saying goodbye," he teased her back.

"Okay, I deserve that," she responded with quiet laughter, looking away. She let out a deep breath and told him, "Next time, come find me." She meant it as a joke, but it did not come out that way. When she realized it, it was too late to take it back.

Oliver was already looking at her as if he wasn't going to let her out of his sight, out of his life ever again. He found her hand that was between them, gave it a gentle squeeze, and said, "I will. But I really hope I don't have to."

She understood what he meant, which made her turn and look at him again. Their gazes locked, and it was as if time had stood still. Their brief banter had shifted into a solemn exchange of renewed affection and care. Each wondered if the other could feel the depth of emotion filled the air. They were keenly aware of the re-connection taking place between them.

Oliver was sure about how he felt. He loved her still, and he could only hope that she recognized it right then and there. He wasn't sure, though, if that was the proper time to tell her. Maybe it was too soon. Maybe she wasn't ready for it. Maybe he still needed to give her time.

Felicity wasn't sure about he she felt. If there was anything that the past several months of bonding with Oliver and Emma had taught her, it was that Oliver had matured and become a responsible, respectable man. He was an amazing older brother, single parent, and co-parent rolled into one. Despite the mistakes and struggles he'd endured, the last eight years had been good to him, and he had definitely changed for the better. She recognized that, and she had come to care about him deeply once again. But did she see him as anything else, as more than the wonderful man raising her daughter? Did she have feelings for him outside of their relationship as Emma's co-parents? She wasn't sure. But now that she felt the intensity of his gaze on her, she overcame the reluctance to explore what more Oliver Queen really meant to her now.

Finally breaking their moment, she said to him, "Come on." She removed her hand from underneath his and added, "It's late, and I am so ready for bed."

Oliver stood up and pulled her up with him. "You're right. We should be checking on Emma, too. You know how she kicks off her blanket and pillows in her sleep. She might get cold."

They left the stables and walked back to the house. It was cold outside. In their haste earlier, there wasn't time for either of them to wear warmer clothes, so they huddled close and shared the fleece blanket that she had taken from the living room couch. Oliver had an arm around her shoulder, holding the blanket draped around her to keep it from falling. Felicity had an arm around his waist to steady herself as they walked. Neither of them really minded the very close proximity.

* * *

When Oliver and Felicity quietly walked into the living room, they were surprised to find Thea sitting on the rocking chair, reading a magazine. Emma lay sleeping on the couch with a throw blanket covering her from the chest down.

Oliver gave his sister a questioning look and asked, "She woke up?"

Thea raised an eyebrow, replying, "We both did."

Thea looked at Felicity then back at Oliver. They still hadn't let each other go. When they picked up on what Thea must have been thinking, they disentangled themselves from each other's arms, and Felicity began to fold the blanket they were using.

"I heard a crash, but I figured that you would handle it, so I stayed in bed," Thea explained to her brother. "But after a few minutes, I heard Emma crying. I went to check on her, but she wasn't in bed. I came downstairs and found her standing there, crying," she said, pointing to the entrance to the den. "She said she was frightened by the loud crash, and that she felt bad that her picture with you and Mom was broken."

Oliver's shoulders slumped as he pursed his lips. "Sorry, that was my fault."

"Don't we know it," Thea replied. "What happened?" she asked them.

Oliver and Felicity exchanged glances. They were obviously figuring out who was going to answer the question.

Oliver knew that it had to be him. And it wasn't just because he was the one that broke the picture frame. He was the one that had told Thea years ago that Felicity had cheated on him, so it was only right and fair that he should be the one to straighten things out. He was simply asking Felicity if he could share the gist of what really happened in the past, so that he could give his sister a clear and concise explanation, which would hopefully change the way Thea saw Felicity from here on.

Felicity nodded and smiled at him. She felt that it was also about time that Thea found out, and was relieved that Oliver was offering to be the one to give his sister the talk.

"Thank you for looking out for Emma," she said to Thea with a smile. "I, uh… I'm gonna go upstairs now and leave you two to talk." She kissed Emma on the forehead and then walked towards the stairs. With one last look at the siblings, she greeted them, "Good night. See you in the morning."

"Good night," replied the siblings.

* * *

The next day was Sunday. John Diggle hauled up everyone in his van and drove them to church. It was a good service, and Felicity enjoyed seeing John's family for the first time there. They had lunch together at the Diggles' and enjoyed Lyla's cooking. Emma played for a while with John's kids, Sara and John Jr., and then they headed back to the ranch to send Felicity off.

While Oliver brought her bags to the car, Felicity spent a little more time with Emma on the porch. Emma was not so much the clingy type, but for some reason, that afternoon she hadn't wanted to part ways with her mother. Emma sat with her on the swing, crying. Felicity tried to soothe her and promised that she would come visit them again the following weekend instead of waiting for the weekend after next. That had calmed Emma down, and when she had stopped crying, Felicity made the move to leave.

Emma still would not let go of her mother's hand and insisted on taking Felicity to her car with Oliver. After saying their goodbyes, Felicity kissed her little girl and motioned for Oliver to take Emma before she herself started to cry. Oliver and Emma walked back to the porch as Felicity opened the door of her car.

"Wait!" Thea called out from the front door.

Felicity turned to see Thea coming out of the house and walking briskly towards her. She wondered why. She closed the car door just as Thea came to stand a few feet in front of her.

"Felicity, before you go," Thea said with trepidation, shifting her weight between her feet, "I, uhm… I just wanted you to know how sorry I am… for how I've treated you… all this time."

"Thea, it's okay."

"It's not okay," Thea countered. This time, the hesitation was gone. "When you ran away back then and I found out what happened… rather, what Ollie told me had happened… I took his side… without giving you the benefit of the doubt… even if I knew you were a good person. If you only knew half of the mean things I've thought about you, you probably wouldn't forgive me." Thea looked down, ashamed of her own admission.

Felicity took a step closer to Thea and touched her forearm. "Thea, you didn't know."

"My point exactly. I didn't know the whole truth, so it wasn't fair of me to judge you the way I did," Thea said, teary-eyed. "When Ollie told me everything last night… well, not everything, _everything_. He did spare me the unpleasant details out of respect for you. But I got the gist, and it wasn't pretty in my head. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I was wrong to think badly of you all this time, and I was wrong to treat you with indifference when clearly, you are the reason that Ollie and Emma are now the happiest that I've seen them since Mom died. Felicity, forgive me?"

Felicity nodded. "Yes," she replied, teary-eyed herself. "We good now?"

"Yeah," Thea answered, and then gave Felicity a hug. "Maybe… maybe we could have lunch or something in Central City sometime? STAR Labs is just a few blocks away from where I work."

"I'd love that."

Felicity drove back to Central City that afternoon with lightness of heart that made her sing-along to the music on her radio for a solid four hours. She had finally made peace with her past, and she had found closure at last.

Oliver got a text from her later that evening, telling him that she had reached home safely. He was grinning from ear to ear as he sent her a reply punctuated with three smileys. (He had thought that three hearts were too much.) At bedtime, he and Felicity tucked Emma to bed via video chat. When he retired for the night, he whispered a prayer of thanks for a second chance at happiness. He, too, had found closure at last.

Oliver went to sleep, dreaming of a future with all three of his girls. He woke up missing Felicity already. And as he went about his daily duties in the ranch, he couldn't help but wish that one day, she would consider giving _them_ a second chance.

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter is a respite from all the heartbreak in the previous ones. Olicity is finally reconciled, and Felicity's relationship with Thea is starting afresh. Oliver and Felicity are going to have to figure out what they are to each other now. So, are you ready for some fluff? I sure hope so. ;-) We've had way too much angst.**


	21. Chapter 21: A Birthday and a Date

**EMMA**

 **Chapter 21: A Birthday and a Date**

* * *

 **A/N: Here's hoping that you are having a wonderful Holiday Season and looking forward to 2019! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! As promised - some much-needed fluff. :-) Enjoy...**

* * *

Oliver was nervous. He'd been nervous since he woke up that morning. In fact, he'd been nervous since yesterday, when he and Emma left the ranch in the afternoon after school for their scheduled visit to Central City that weekend. They'd been doing the exchange visits with Felicity for about ten months now since Emma met her mother, and it's already been a couple of months since the monumental talk that had given them both the closure they needed. But this particular trip wasn't like the ones before.

He was going on his first official date with Felicity. Hence, the nerves.

He had brought Thea and Emma to Felicity's place earlier because they promised to help Felicity get ready for their special night. After he had dropped them off, he had done some errands in the city and then had gone back to Thea's apartment to get ready. Except, two hours have already passed but he still wasn't ready. He had redone his tie five times, polished and re-polished his hardly-used leather shoes as if the mechanical motions would help him get rid of the tension in his body.

What had he been thinking when he had come up with the idea in the first place? He didn't regret it; he was just extremely anxious. What if something went awfully wrong that night, especially since he hadn't gone on a date with anyone in ages? Helena had been the last woman he had gone out with, and that was more than five years ago. In recent years, he had spent more time with horses and cattle than with women (other than his sister and his little girl). What if he failed to meet Felicity's expectations and she decided that they'd be better off as friends and (unofficial) co-parents after this date?

Oliver thought of turning back a couple of times, but he kept driving until he parked in front of Felicity's building. His feet automatically carried him to the lobby, into the elevator, and down the hallway to her door. He smoothed the nonexistent wrinkles on his suit jacket and then took a deep breath. It was now or never.

* * *

 _A few days ago…_

" _Happy Birthday, Emma!" the kids and grown-ups had shouted together, after they had all sung the birthday song in unison and the little girl blew her candles._

 _It was Emma's eighth birthday, and she had asked to celebrate it in school with her teachers and friends. Oliver, of course, granted her wish. Both Felicity and Thea had taken leave from work in the middle of the work week and driven to Starling Town to celebrate with them._

 _The party had been a blast. Emma had been elated that she had gotten to celebrate with people who were not just family, but she'd been beyond ecstatic that it was the first birthday she celebrated (that she could actually have memories of) with a woman that she called Mom. As far as Felicity was concerned, the feeling of elation and ecstasy was mutual. She got to celebrate her daughter's birthday for the first time._

 _The school's modestly-sized mess hall was now quiet and devoid of people, except for Oliver and Felicity who were busy cleaning up. The festive lunch hour was over. All the students and teachers had gone back to their respective classrooms, and Thea was outside loading Emma's presents onto Oliver's truck._

" _Thanks for coming to celebrate with Emma. She really wanted you to come. She prayed every night for a week that Dr. Wells would let you," Oliver said to her, as he stacked paper plates and collected disposable cups and forks._

" _Of course! I wouldn't have missed it for the world. The smile on Emma's face is worth a million bucks!" Felicity replied, grinning widely, as she picked up trash and dropped them into the huge black bag. "It was so nice of Thea to offer to drive. I'm really not much of anything very early in the morning."_

 _Oliver responded with a chuckle, "Yeah, I remembered. I may have tipped her off."_

 _Felicity stopped what she was doing and twirled around to face him, her blonde ponytail swinging as she did so, and her skirt swooshing to show off her shapely legs in a really cute way. When he looked up, he saw her flash him a winsome smile while saying, "Then I guess I should thank you… for saving me from a possibly unpleasant road mishap." She was grateful that he remembered how she was not an early morning person, but she was more delighted at his thoughtfulness._

 _Truth be told, delighting in Oliver's thoughtfulness had been happening more and more frequently in the past couple of months since she'd told him the truth about her past, which had resulted in them rebuilding their friendship. It wasn't just his thoughtfulness, his naturally caring ways and protective instincts that she had found herself keenly appreciating in recent weeks; it was also his unexpected phone calls and text messages just to check on her even when she wasn't with Emma, the light touches and the smiles they exchanged during weekend visits, as well as the alone times they shared just talking about big and small things happening in their lives while doing chores together or when Emma was already asleep. If she were to be completely honest, she more than noticed and appreciated all those; she now yearned for them. If Oliver had noticed that she did, he hadn't said anything about it. She only hoped that he felt the same way about her as she now felt about him._

" _Thank you," she said, pretending to curtsy before royalty._

" _You're welcome," he said, bowing like so._

 _Their gazes locked, and for almost a minute, neither of them said anything. They just stared into each other's eyes while smiling affectionately._

 _Thea walked into the mess hall unnoticed. So, she cleared her throat more loudly than usual and said, "Okay, the gifts are all loaded up. Anything else?"_

 _That had broken their moment. Thea's raised eyebrows and curved lips showed that she was proud of herself for catching them in that state. Oliver's naughty sister had begun teasing them lately._

 _Oliver dropped his gaze from Felicity's and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. He shifted his attention to Thea and said, "Thanks, sis. You can take those two boxes over there to the truck, too. Felicity and I are almost done here."_

" _O-kay… When I'm done, I'm gonna take my car and head back to the ranch to get some rest. It was a long drive, and I'm doing it again later. You and Felicity can wait for Emma," Thea replied with a wink. She then turned around and walked out of the mess hall, bouncing on her heels in mischievous delight._

 _Oliver shook his head. "You'll have to bear with Thea. You know how she can be sometimes," he told Felicity, resuming his task of clearing the last table._

 _Felicity responded, not looking at him as she too returned to picking up trash, "No worries. Besides, she's only kidding."_

" _I hope not," he muttered. He immediately regretted saying it, wishing that she hadn't heard._

" _What was that?" she asked._

" _Uh, nothing," he answered sheepishly. "I hope you don't mind waiting? Emma doesn't get off until 2pm. Bus won't pick up today coz the driver called in sick."_

" _Oh, no problem," she replied._

" _Are you sure? I can drive you back to the ranch if you wanted to rest. I can just come back here for Emma later."_

" _It's fine. We can wait. Did you want us to stay here or go do something else while waiting?" she asked. She didn't notice that she began chewing on her lower lip as she anticipated his answer._

 _Oliver thought for a moment, and then he said with a glint in his eye, "I have an idea. Let's finish up here and then I'll take you some place. Okay?"_

 _She smiled from ear to ear and nodded. "Okay."_

 _When they finished cleaning up, they both got on Oliver's truck and drove into Starling Town. Felicity was still familiar with most of the streets and the stores that lined the main roads. When they passed the public library and the town hall with the clock tower, she already had an inkling of where he was taking her._

* * *

 _Felicity was thrilled to find that The Ice Cream Factory was still open for business and doing well after all these years. It had been their favorite hang-out place after school – her, Oliver, Tommy Merlyn, Laurel and Sara Lance. The moment she stepped into the quaint little parlor and she heard the door chimes ring, memories of their high school days flooded her mind. She was almost teary-eyed as she scanned the small room. Everything looked the same. She looked at their favorite table, the one at the left corner beneath the huge black-and-white poster of Elvis, the owner's favorite celebrity of all time._

 _Oliver placed their orders at the counter while she headed to their favorite table, which was fortunately vacant. She watched him fondly from afar, her chin resting on her intertwined fingers as her elbows rested on the table. She wondered if he'll ask her what she wanted, or if he'll go with her favorite from years ago._

 _Like a gentleman, Oliver turned to her from eight feet away and asked, "Salted caramel sundae? Without nuts? Extra whipped cream and a cherry on top?"_

 _He remembered._

 _Felicity nodded and smiled as she sighed. She loved this man._

 _Wait, what?_

 _She loved his thoughtfulness and kindness. Yeah, that was it. Oh, and she also loved how he put Emma first, all the time. How he treated her as more than just his adopted little sister's birth mother. How he made her feel special once again just by the way he looked at her or spoke her name._

 _Felicity intentionally distracted herself from those thoughts (which she thought inappropriate considering where they were in their relationship) by looking out the glass window on the opposite side of the room. People-watching should take her mind off her daydreams. She really shouldn't be thinking of Oliver this way, she thought._

 _She and Oliver enjoyed a friendly conversation for almost an hour. They had already finished their ice cream sundaes earlier, but neither one of them made the move to stand and leave. They were enjoying each other's company just like they did every time they had the chance to be alone in the past months._

 _Oliver looked at his watch and saw that it was time to head back to Emma's school to pick her up. But before he could say anything, Felicity's phone rang. She winced when she saw the name and picture of the caller on her screen._

" _Hi, Ray," she greeted, trying to be as cordial as possible, yet her facial expression betrayed her. She was mostly just nodding her head and saying, "Mm-hmm…" every once in a while. She was clearly not enjoying the one-sided conversation._

" _Ray, why don't we just talk about this when I get back? I'm actually out of town right now," Felicity responded finally. After a few more seconds, she said goodbye and hung up._

" _Trouble at work?" Oliver asked._

" _Not exactly," she replied with a grimace. It was work-related but more personal. She wasn't sure she should talk about it with Oliver, who respected her silence by not pushing it. Instead, he just smiled and said, "Well, whatever it is, I'm sure you'll have it handled."_

" _Yeah, I've got it covered," Felicity told him. "In fact, I think the best solution is for me not to go."_

" _Not to go where?" Oliver asked, his curiosity getting the better of him._

" _The banquet," she answered. "Dr. Wells is hosting a formal banquet this Saturday to celebrate STAR Labs' 15_ _th_ _founding anniversary. He wants all personnel in attendance, and he wants every single one to come with a plus one. He says he wants to meet his colleagues' and employees' spouses, significant others, best friends, that sort of thing."_

" _And you're not going?"_

" _I think not. Caitlyn is going with her boyfriend Ronnie, who also works at STAR Labs, and Cisco already asked his girlfriend Cynthia. I haven't figures out who my plus one is going to be, and Ray knows it. He's asked me to be his date a couple of times already. But, nah… I don't want to give him the wrong impression that I'm interested in him as more than a colleague. I've told him that more than once, and I thought he's gotten over it. Apparently, not," Felicity sighed. "Ray's a good guy and a brilliant scientist, but…" She shook her head. "He can really be slow on social cues." She chuckled._

 _Oliver had been staring at her all the time she was giving an explanation while looking down at her painted fingernails, avoiding his gaze. He heard every word she said, but he focused only on two things: the fact that she didn't have a date to the banquet, and that she didn't want it to be Ray. He wanted to breathe out a sigh of relief, but for some reason, he kept it in. Listening to her, he was jumping up and down on the inside, because finally he had something concrete to go on – something that confirmed that Felicity wasn't involved with anyone special at the moment and that Ray wasn't even a viable option as far as she was concerned. Oliver reined in his excitement and waited for her to finish speaking._

" _So, I guess my only option is to skip the banquet. Anyways, it's this weekend. I can just tell Dr. Wells that I'd much rather spend time with my daughter who's coming to visit," Felicity concluded._

" _Felicity, can I ask you something?" Oliver said after he drank some water to calm himself down._

" _Sure," she said._

" _If you had a plus one that you would consider worth taking with you, would you still go to the banquet?" he asked, his voice lowering a bit as he took on a more serious tone._

" _What do you mean?" she asked. The crinkle in her forehead told him that he wasn't exactly being clear._

" _If you could take someone other than Ray Palmer, would you consider going?"_

" _Well, that depends. Four days is hardly enough time to meet someone new and qualify as a significant other. I doubt if-"_

" _Felicity," he cut her off from a potentially unnecessary babble. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you think you can stand being with me for a few hours in a formal event, then I'm willing to go as your plus one – that is, if you really want to attend your company's big day," he offered her, with a warm but shy smile to match._

 _Felicity was quiet for a bit, studying his face with narrowed eyes. The confused frown slowly faded as she looked deep into his eyes, and then she responded, "Oliver, I don't want to read too much into what you just said, but are you asking me out on a date, date? Not that you're the one that needs a date. I'm the one who needs a date. Yeah. Did you just offer to be my plus one?"_

 _Oliver pressed his lips together to keep himself from breaking out into a chuckle, and then he nodded, his eyes shining with an inside smile._

 _Felicity opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out. Her lips parted again, but still no sound came out. She hadn't yet made up her mind whether or not his offer was a good idea._

 _A few more seconds went by, and Oliver could no longer hold it. He laughed out loud, and then reached for her hand across the table. "Felicity, you can turn me down. It's okay. I won't take it against you," he told her, still laughing a little bit._

 _She laughed with him, smiling as she replied, "I'm sorry. I… I was just surprised, that's all. It's nice of you to ask." She turned her hand over in his, and gave his hand a gentle squeeze._

" _I just want you to have fun at the banquet. I know how much STAR Labs means to you. You shouldn't miss it just because you didn't want to settle for Ray Palmer." He looked at her and smiled again, this time without the laughter. "The offer still stands."_

 _Felicity blushed, her lower lip caught between her teeth. "Ask again, properly this time," she told him with a glad glimmer in her eyes._

 _His eyes shimmering with just as must excitement, Oliver asked, "Felicity Smoak, may I take you to the banquet on Saturday night?"_

" _Yes, I'd love that."_

* * *

Oliver knocked on her door. He fixed his tie one more time, waiting for Felicity to answer.

When she opened the door, his jaw gaped open and his mouth went dry. He admired every inch of her, from her sparkling stiletto heels, to her forest green, strapless, chiffon dress that hugged at her curves and ended just above her knees, to the way she fixed her beautiful blonde waves that draped down to her shoulder and framed one side of her face. She rendered him speechless, breathless even. He really wasn't prepared to stand before beauty and perfection.

* * *

 **A/N: More fluff to come, and then the last bout of angst. There's going to be just three chapters left and then an epilogue. Thank you that you are still reading this! :-)**


	22. Chapter 22: The Banquet

**Emma – Chapter 22: The Banquet**

* * *

 **A/N: I didn't want you to wait so long. ;-) Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hi," Felicity greeted Oliver at the door.

Her shy smile imitated his own, though he wasn't really aware of it. He was much too overwhelmed by the sight of her; he couldn't find the words to speak.

Instead of greeting her back, he took a step towards her and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek. He just couldn't help it. He completely forgot to give her the bouquet of flowers he'd kept hidden behind his back. Felicity was pleasantly surprised at his gesture; she really didn't mind.

As her skin lost contact with his lips when he pulled back, she cleared her throat and said, "Come on in. We should both say goodbye to Emma."

Before he went in, he finally found the words. "Thank you for letting me take you to the banquet tonight. You look absolutely… beautiful."

She was. He hadn't seen her all dressed up like this for a decade, and yet, she looked more elegant and stunning that night than the night he had taken her to her senior prom many years ago. They were so much younger then, but she seemed to have only become prettier with age. He wondered if she thought the same thing about him.

Oliver gave her the flowers, and after she found a crystal vase to put them in, she went to get her purse from her bedroom. Oliver went through last minute reminders with Thea. He and Felicity said good night to Emma, telling her that she might already be asleep by the time they got back.

"Now you be a good girl for Aunt Thea. Okay, Emma?" Oliver said to the little girl as he pulled back from kissing her on the forehead.

"I will, Ollie," replied Emma. "Thanks for letting me and Aunt Thea sleep over here tonight. I want to see Mommy first when I wake up tomorrow. She looks so, so pretty!"

"She does, doesn't she?" Oliver responded, looking up to see Felicity staring at them, a blush creeping up from her bare neck to her face. He smiled warmly at her and then shifted his gaze back to Emma and said, "When you wake up tomorrow, I bet she won't be in her pretty dress anymore. And she won't be wearing make-up, but I'm sure she'll be just as pretty in the morning."

"Oh, please…" Thea said after groaning at his sappiness. "Just go, you two. I can't take much more of this… whatever this dance is that you've been doing."

"Mommy and Ollie are going to a dance?" Emma asked, confused and curious at the same time at her aunt's remark.

When Oliver stood up, clearly about to reprimand his sister, Felicity decided to intervene. "It's called a banquet, Emma, a formal party, where people dress up in fancy clothes, eat really expensive food, and enjoy each other's company. Though, I'm pretty sure there'll be some dancing as well." She winked at her daughter, who was listening intently to her every word in wide-eyed wonder.

Emma's smile soon fell as she realized something. "But, Ollie doesn't dance. I mean, I've never seen him dance," she said with her crinkled eyebrows, turning to her older brother as she finished her sentence.

Felicity eagerly corrected Emma's misconception. "Just because you haven't seen him dance, doesn't mean he can't. If my memory serves me right, he's a really good dance partner. Even without the music."

Oliver blushed at the compliment. Coming from Felicity, it was as if he had won the state lottery. It had been quite unexpected – the way she suddenly remembered some of his most unforgettable and priceless moments with her, one fond memory in particular.

He had danced with Felicity during parties since childhood and all throughout high school. He had danced with her at prom twice – that is, first at his prom and then again at hers. But none had been more magical than the last dance they'd shared under "their tree" in the sunset before she left for her freshman year at MIT. No one else had been there. They had danced to the music of the wind, the rustling autumn leaves, the gentle symphony of a few crickets, and the calm beating of two hearts as they held each other in a tight embrace. Hearing Felicity allude to that memorable dance in particular was precious to him. He took it as a sign that they were moving in the right direction, and that made him confident that the rest of the evening was going to go just fine.

When Felicity realized the implications of what she'd just said to Emma, she quickly averted her eyes from Oliver and her daughter in embarrassment. Locating the nearest clock, she changed the topic faster than Thea could tease a second time.

"We'd better get going. Dr. Wells is a stickler about coming on time," said Felicity. She bent forward and kissed the crown of Emma's head.

Oliver guided Felicity to the door, waving goodbye to Thea and Emma. They left for the banquet, both eager to enjoy the evening – their first date in a very long time.

* * *

Oliver sat in silence at the dinner table next to where Dr. Harrison Wells and the board of directors of STAR Labs were seated. Felicity had excused herself and gone to the ladies room, and he'd assured her that it was perfectly fine for him to sit and wait all by himself. They knew who the other occupants at their table were going to be – all Felicity's friends and colleagues – but they were still mingling with other guests and hadn't seated themselves yet. He sure was relieved that he finally had the chance to get a breather.

The preliminary introductions and pleasantries had been exchanged earlier. In the beginning, Oliver had been a little bit tense and nervous about being introduced to Dr. Wells and to Felicity's superiors and co-workers. He was glad that Felicity had been by his side the whole time, never leaving him to fend for himself; it had helped make him feel comfortable. Caitlyn, Cisco, and surprisingly, even Ray Palmer, had also welcomed him cordially, asking how Emma was doing and sending regards to their favorite little girl.

What he had appreciated most was the way that Felicity had introduced him to everybody as her "best friend." To those who seemed a bit more curious than most people, she had described him as her best friend from childhood with whom she had grown up, lost touch for some years since college, but had, since a year ago, been very close friends with again. Felicity had introduced him to Dr. Wells as the wonderful older brother of Emma, who had single-handedly raised her daughter since her adoptive parent, Moira Queen, passed away. For Oliver, that had been the best introduction of all. And it wasn't just because her words had made him look good before others; it was more because her words were palpably sincere. Whether she was aware of it or not, Felicity had made him feel special and appreciated. He couldn't feel prouder.

"Everything okay?" Felicity asked as she came up from behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Looking up at her, Oliver answered, "Everything's fine." He stood up and seated her like the courteous gentleman his mother had raised him to be. Moira used to tell him that cowboys and ranchers ought to have manners, too.

Soon the empty seats at their table were filled and dinner was underway. The food was delicious and the company was great. Felicity's friends were very nice people, especially Caitlyn, and he learned to appreciate that even more. He felt very happy for her, and at one point in the conversations, he leaned towards her and softly told her so. That had earned him one of her sweetest smiles plus a gentle touch on his forearm.

Later on, as they were finishing dessert, Dr. Wells gave his speech and offered a toast to many more years of success for STAR Labs. He then declared the dance floor officially open and complimented the live band for the exquisite entertainment they'd been providing ever since the guests started to arrive. When the applause died down, slow dance music began to play.

"Felicity, would you like to dance?" Oliver asked.

Felicity smiled. "With you? Any time," she replied.

Oliver took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Couples were already starting to sway to the music by the time they stepped on the parquet floor. Less than a minute into the dance, they both recognized that they still remembered everything their mothers had taught them when they were younger. (Moira and Donna both had loved to dance).

He was, however, impressed that Felicity's movements had become more precise, refined, and graceful. "I see you've gotten better at this," Oliver remarked with a smile.

She replied, "Well, this isn't the first time I've had to attend functions like this. Dr. Wells is fond of throwing parties and galas to impress investors, partners, and clients. And you?"

"I'm afraid Emma's quite reliable with her information earlier," he answered. "I haven't been to formal events in a really long time. John's not much of a dance partner, and so is Speedy… or the cows at the ranch." They both chuckled at that.

"Then I guess it's a good thing you came with me tonight. Like I said earlier, you're a really good dancer. It would be a shame to waste such talent and keep it from the rest of the world." Her eyes shone with pride as she complimented him.

Emboldened by her delightful remark, Oliver said to her, "Well, the rest of the world can wait… because my feet will only dance with _you_."

Their radiant faces could not glow brighter as they stared deep into each other's bright blue eyes. Felicity's hands moved as though they had a mind of their own, and her palms both landed on his chest. Not knowing what else to do with his hands, Oliver placed them lightly on waist, and when she did not flinch, he knew that he'd been granted permission to touch her as more than just a dance partner.

"I wonder what Emma would do if she saw you dancing right now," Felicity said.

"Knowing her," Oliver replied, "she'd cut right in." Felicity laughed softly, and so did he.

Caught up in the moment, he instinctively pulled her close, and she did not mind it at all. In fact, she slid her palms down and around his torso and rested her head on his broad chest. The gesture made Oliver sigh contentedly, as he rubbed her partly bare back up and down while they swayed to the music. She could feel his heartbeat on her cheek. He could feel the goose bumps on the skin of her back. They both wished that the song the band was playing was a medley of sorts, because they both did not want the dance to end just yet.

But it did.

Felicity was the first one to pull back when the music started to fade, and with the applause of everyone on the dance floor, Oliver led her back to their table.

"Do you mind if we step out to the deck for a while for some fresh air?" asked Felicity.

"Not at all. Lead the way," said Oliver.

* * *

They walked across the huge exhibition hall of STAR Labs, which had been conveniently and very elegantly transformed into a banquet hall for the occasion. As they did, Oliver picked up two champagne flutes from a waiter's tray. Out on the third floor deck, they stayed in companionable silence for a while as they drank their champagne, enjoying the other side of the city's evening skyline from afar. Halfway through their drink, Felicity put down her flute on a nearby cocktail table and went straight to the railing that lined the edge of the deck.

"I come up here every now and then when I need a break from work," she said, wrapping her arms across her upper body when she started to feel a bit chilly. "It's quiet and peaceful. And the view of the city is lovely."

Oliver had already removed his coat and moved closer to drape it around her. As Felicity turned to thank him for his thoughtful gesture, he was quick to respond to her last remark. "Maybe. But it's not half as lovely as you," he said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Oliver, you're such a sap," Felicity told him. She was not about to admit that she was about to give in to flattery.

"Maybe. But it's true." Oliver really hoped she understood how sincere he was. In his eyes, no one was as lovely as the woman standing beside him. Not before, not now, maybe not ever.

Felicity rolled her eyes and shook her head. But then she smiled at him, and she saw that he was serious with his compliment. There was something more in his eyes, and she was positive that it was more than fondness; it was affection, pure and unadulterated affection.

With a sudden surge of courage, she looked straight into his eyes and dared ask him, "Oliver, what are we, really? I mean, of course I know we're good friends, and we agreed to help each other raise Emma the best way we can. But, these past few months, I feel like… And please, feel free to correct me if I'm reading it wrongly, because I certainly could be. But I sense that something is radically shifting between us, and I'm wondering if… if you can sense it, too."

Patience was a virtue, and Oliver was definitely glad that it had finally paid off in his favor. He shifted between his feet, unsure of how to tell her his innermost feelings, feelings that had been bottled up inside him, simply waiting to be expressed, unleashed.

He took a deep breath and began to reply with a balance of wit and earnestness, "I really don't see the need to correct you, because yeah, I do sense that something is shifting. But I'd have to disagree with you about something."

Her eyes grew wide for fear that he was going to tell her that he didn't feel the same way. But she reined in her emotions and bit her lip to keep herself from impulsively responding with a ramble.

Oliver went on to say, "Felicity, whatever it is that's shifting, it isn't shifting between the two of us. We've both changed, that's true. But my feelings for you haven't changed through the years, even during the time when I was hurting because of what happened between us. Wait. That's not quite right. The way I feel about you _has_ changed. It has grown… through the tough times… and especially now that we've become friends again and gotten to know each other better over the past year. And I'm not just saying this because we both have Emma in our lives."

"Felicity, I used to be madly _in love_ with you. But now, I can really say that I _love_ you. It's a choice I made the day you came back to the ranch to make things right. It's a choice I made the night you told me the truth. In spite of everything you've been through, I love you. And I've been waiting for you to give me the perfect opportunity to express what's been in my heart all this time."

Felicity was dumbfounded. She had had an inkling that Oliver had feelings for her; she just did not expect for his feelings to run so deep and for his intentions to be so earnest. It seemed he had been waiting for quite some time to be able to tell her how he felt. Oliver wasn't really one for long speeches, so he must have really meant every word he said.

"Oliver, I…"

He closed the gap between them and reached up to cup her cheek tenderly with his hand. "Felicity, if there's any shifting that's been happening these past few months, I think it's happening inside _your_ heart. I just hope that it's along the lines of you feeling the same way about me. You don't have to say it back if you're not ready; in fact, you don't have to say anything just yet. If you need more time to think about it, then take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

Her eyes welled up with tears, and he was ready to pull out his handkerchief from his pocket just in case she needed it. Instead, she blinked away the tears and sighed. She held the wrist of his hand that held the side of her face, caressing his pulse point with her thumb, and then she leaned forward until their foreheads touched.

"I do feel the same way about you," she whispered.

She then pulled back to get a good look at his face. "Well, maybe not as passionately as you do. Not yet, at least. You've had a head start. And I've had _a lot_ to deal with for years. But give me some time. I catch up pretty quickly. And it's not just because I'm a certified genius. It's also because I've been rediscovering how such a wonderful man you truly are. I mean, you're not perfect, perfect. But I'd be a fool not to fall in love with you twice over. Because I do. I do love you. Especially since-"

Oliver cut off her adorable babble with a kiss. It was soft and chaste at the onset, but it grew more passionately as their lips and their bodies suddenly remembered how amazing it had always been to share a lover's kiss in such close proximity. It felt like the last nine years of estrangement between them had never happened. It felt like coming home.

* * *

 **A/N: This here is really my special holiday gift to all of you, dear readers and followers. I really hope you liked it, because it was positively emotional for me to write it out. Shout out to mjf2468, weird-but-wonderful, malafle, CaptainSammyAngel, KasumisMom, highlander348, Mione-angra, and Camilinha! Happy Holidays!**

 **I'm aiming to finish this story before New Year's and to post a chapter every other day. Just three more chapters to go, so here's hoping I can post the epilogue by January 3, 2019. Tall order. But I have a work-related seminar coming up, and then the holiday break is over, so I want to get this done.**


	23. Chapter 23: The Promotion

**EMMA**

 **Chapter 23: The Promotion**

* * *

Oliver and Felicity walked back to the banquet hall holding hands, shoulder to shoulder, flashing heart eyes at each other. As soon as they felt the indoor warmth once more, he removed his coat from her upper body and wore it again just before he pulled out the chair at their table for her to sit on.

"There you are!" Caitlyn exclaimed. "I've been looking all over for you. Dr. Wells is about to make a big announcement and wanted everyone to hear it."

"Oh," Felicity said. "What big announcement?"

"I have no idea," said Cisco. "Guess we're about to find out." Cisco motioned in the direction of the stage.

Dr. Harrison wells stepped up the platform and tapped the microphone at the podium. "Before I make an important announcement, once again I would like to thank you all for gracing this occasion with your presence. I hope that the dinner and dance had been beyond expectation, and that you are all enjoying a lovely evening."

The crowd applauded, and Dr. Wells raised his hands to ask them to hold off the applause until he was done with his announcement.

"As you well know, STAR Labs is now on its fifteenth year, and we are doing very well. This is why the Board has approved, not just the proposed budget for the next fiscal year – which, of course, includes a generous pay hike for all our hard-working employees – but also, our five-year expansion plan."

The crowd broke out in applause once again, this time with some cheering and whistling. Dr. Wells did not stop them anymore. He waited for the cheering to die down.

"In light of this expansion plan, which will commence immediately, there will be several changes in our organizational chart, as some of our best people will most definitely be reassigned. I assure you, the memo will be out very soon. But, allow me to announce the promotion of a handful of our most reliable and brilliant people."

Everyone waited with baited breath. As if by instinct, Felicity found Oliver's hand on his knee under the table. She tangled her fingers with his, and in turn, he gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Beginning next month," Dr. Wells explained, "Ms. Caitlyn Snow will be the new Chief of our Biochemistry Division, Mr. Ronnie Raymond will be promoted to Senior Lab Technician, and Mr. Francisco Ramon will become our new Senior Engineer here in Central City."

Audience applause interrupted his speech once again, and Dr. Wells acknowledged the approbation of his people. He then went on to announce, "Mr. Raymond Palmer will be the new Director of Research and Development, and Ms. Felicity Smoak will be the Director of Applied Sciences. Should they accept the promotion, they will both be reassigned to our east coast facility in Boston where they shall also complete master's degrees in their chosen fields of specialization at MIT, fully funded by STAR Labs, of course. In behalf of the Board, it is our desire that these incentives will all the more motivate each one of you to pursue excellence and contribute to the long-term goals of the company. Thank you very much, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening!"

* * *

The rest of the evening turned out to be less than enjoyable for Oliver and Felicity. Neither of them felt like dancing or mingling anymore after that announcement, so they took leave early, telling their close friends that it was for Emma's sake. After saying goodbye to their friends and politely thanking Dr. Wells, they left the banquet and headed back to Felicity's home.

A promotion was normally something to be celebrated, and really, Felicity was genuinely grateful for the company's generosity and recognition of her hard work and dedication. She took her career seriously, and she truly appreciated Dr. Wells as a mentor. She would have been completely joyful about the promotion and the study grant; however, the fact that both incentives had to be on the other side of the country had dampened that joy.

 _She had just gotten her family back, for crying out loud. How was she supposed to have a life with Oliver and Emma if she was thousands of miles away from the two people she cared about most?_

Felicity kept looking out the window of her car even if there was really nothing interesting to see in that part of Central City. She couldn't look at Oliver, even if she knew that he'd been stealing furtive glances at her since they left the banquet. She knew that the moment she saw his face, she'd start to cry. So, the drive back home was silent.

When Oliver parked the car in front of her building, he was the one that finally broke the ice. It was better here than in her apartment where Thea and Emma were, he figured.

"I'm really happy for you, Felicity," he said. The tone of his voice was the exact opposite of what he had just said. He was looking straight ahead through the windshield at nothing in particular. He dropped his gaze a little, staring now at his hands that hadn't let go of the wheel.

He went on to say, "You're brilliant and dedicated, and you're living your dreams. Your mother would have been so proud. I know I am."

Felicity turned from looking out the window, but instead of facing him, she looked down at the hands on her lap. "Thanks, I guess. The announcement came as a shock, actually. I'm not so sure how I feel about it right now." At least, she was being honest.

Oliver thought that he knew exactly what she was thinking: that she was having second-thoughts about the promotion and the move to Boston. She was letting her feelings for him – and most probably for Emma as well – hold her back. He wouldn't have it. He wasn't going to let her sacrifice her career and her success for them.

 _Legally, she was under no obligation to support Emma; she did not even have legal joint custody over her. Nothing was really holding her back._ _He and Emma were going to be just fine at the ranch. After all, they'd done it before, just the two of them._

If anyone accused him of sour-graping now, he would vehemently deny it.

"Felicity…" he said, looking at her finally, "please don't tell me you're not taking the promotion. You deserve it."

"It's not that, and you know it," she replied. At last, she looked at him and said sadly, "I want the promotion, and I want that master's degree. But I also want a life with Emma, with you." Felicity thought that she had really come a long way. She was speaking her mind, letting him know exactly what she wanted and how she felt. She hoped he would do the same.

"Emma and I will be fine," Oliver assured her. He reached across to take her hand and added, "Maybe when you're done with graduate school, you can ask to come back to Central City. I'd wait for you, you know."

 _Who was he kidding? A beautiful, brilliant, and successful woman like Felicity would be surrounded by admirers and hopeful suitors the minute she set foot in Boston. That was what had happened when she was in college; it could most certainly happen again. Why was this happening again?_

The warmth of his hand that was wrapped around her smaller one wasn't enough to calm her wildly beating heart. "But, I've already lost seven years of my daughter's life. I don't want to lose two or three more. And, I don't think I can bear to tell her that I'm leaving her again." Felicity began to cry.

Oliver pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her. "You underestimate our girl. Emma can handle it. She'll understand, eventually."

"Oliver, she's eight years old. And she's not you!" Her voice came out a little sterner than she intended, and her remark irritated him a little.

He responded with more angst than he intended, "Hey, don't you think this is hard on me, too? I've just gotten you back, and now I need to let you go. A second time. For your own good." He held back a sob, and it had caused a lump to form in his throat. "You… you have a life to live that's bigger than what we have to offer in Starling."

"What are you saying, Oliver?"

"I'm saying you shouldn't let this chance pass, or you might regret it."

"I regret enough in my life already."

"My point exactly."

Before their conversation turned into a full-blown argument, they stopped. To their credit, they weren't immature, bickering teenagers who were incapable of handling conflict. Or were they?

Felicity became quiet, but inside, emotions were running high. She felt like Oliver was pushing her away. Why was he letting her go just like that? Perhaps he was sincere in that he only wanted what he thought was best for her. Perhaps she was reading him all wrong; he had just told her that he loved her an hour ago, but he probably didn't love her enough to fight for her. Perhaps he didn't think she loved him enough to fight for them. Felicity couldn't believe this was happening all over again. She felt like 17-year-old Felicity who had a hard time making up her mind about leaving Starling Town and the life she used to know. Perhaps history did repeat itself.

Oliver too was quiet, but inside, emotions were running high. He loved her too much to keep her from succeeding, but that didn't mean that the prospect of letting her go and losing her _again_ didn't hurt. Because it did. More than the first time. Maybe she'd find fulfillment in Boston this time around and decide not to come back in two years' time. Maybe she'd settle for a long distance relationship with Emma and just come for visits or send for her during the holidays. Maybe later on she'd meet someone special there that had the same (or nearly the same) IQ level as hers, or finally settle for Ray Palmer, who was logically a better match for her than he could ever be. After all, he was just a humble rancher from Starling Town. Oliver couldn't believe he was having this annoying debate with himself again. He felt like 19-year-old Oliver who thought that he didn't deserve an amazing, gifted girl like Felicity. History _did_ repeat itself.

"It's getting cold. You should go inside," Oliver told her.

"Yeah." Her voice was just as cold and lifeless as the dry, chilly air surrounding them.

"I'll see you in the morning."

"Fine."

He went around and opened the door for her. She got out and walked straight to the front entrance of the apartment building, his hopes of them sharing a good night kiss dashed to pieces because of an unsettled argument. Despite the romance in the air earlier that evening, all he could do now was watch the woman he loved walk away and disappear in the distance.

Neither of them got a good night's sleep that evening.

* * *

"Okay, spill, big brother," Thea finally ordered. She'd been waiting all morning for this chance to ask him what went wrong at the banquet the night before. Emma was still upstairs in Felicity's apartment. Thea was pretending to help her brother bring their stuff down to his truck.

Oliver didn't answer. He really was not in the mood for conversation, much less open up about his frustrations with Felicity. Their relationship had barely taken off, yet now it was hanging precariously in mid-air. So, he ignored her and continued to fix Emma's booster in the back seat.

"Come on, Ollie. Something had to have happened last night," Thea pushed some more. "You didn't even come up to check on Emma. Felicity is suddenly deaf and dumb the whole morning. And you decided to leave immediately after brunch today. It's not… normal."

"Thea…" he half-growled his sister's name. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Oh no… What did you do?" Thea asked, her tone suspicious and her stance ready to scold him.

"Nothing," Oliver answered.

"What do you mean nothing? She wouldn't be upset about nothing."

He reiterated, "I didn't do anything."

Oh, so there it was. Thea narrowed her eyes at him even if he wasn't looking at her. She crouched a little bit so that she could see his brother's face, and then she placed her hands on both his shoulders, forcing him to straighten up and face her. "Maybe that's exactly what went wrong. You did _nothing_ ," she told him.

Oliver was quick to reply in the form of an irksome question. "Thea, what do you want from me?"

"The truth."

"Fine! She's leaving for Boston. Again. She's been promoted, but she's being sent to the other side of the country to be the director of some… some science thing… and to study some more."

"Oh… Talk about déjà vu. Ollie, I'm so sorry." Thea huffed out a breath and gave her brother a pat on the back. The tone of her voice softened a little bit. She asked, "Is she accepting the promotion?"

"Why won't she? She deserves it," Oliver answered, as he closed the door of his truck.

"I'm sure she does, but there's more to making a decision to move across the country than that. She has a daughter, and she has us – both of which she has just gotten back. I don't think she's going make a major decision just like that."

"It's her life, her choice," Oliver said dismissively, which was ironic, because if Thea had been there in the car with them last night, she would have berated his brother for making Felicity's choice for her unilaterally.

"I get that. But you can't start acting all broody like you used to, when she hasn't even made a choice yet. Has she?" Thea asked point blank.

Oliver dropped his gaze and shifted between his feet. "I told her to take the job, Thea. I know how important her career is to her. She's dreamed of this since we were kids. I just want her to be happy."

Thea retorted, "And you think that happiness for Felicity is living thousands of miles away from the ones she loves? Ollie, get real!"

"There's nothing I can do," he replied dejectedly.

"Yeah, right. I've heard that before."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked his sister. He was really at the brink of losing it.

But so was Thea. She placed her hands on her hips and gave him a piece of her mind.

"You say you want her to be happy, to pursue her dreams, and that in order for her to do that, you're going to have to let her go, to sacrifice your happiness for her sake. Well, that is exactly the kind of flawed reasoning that led to you gradually lose the love of your life ten years ago. And maybe you were right to let her go then. I don't know. But you know what? After watching what your life was like for many years without Felicity in your life, I think it's fair to say that you are making a big mistake once again. It's like instant replay! It doesn't sit well with me that I have to be the one to point it out, but you really need to hear it and get it into that thick skull of yours."

His sister was on a roll, but she paused to catch her breath and calm herself down a bit.

"Ollie, I know you. You do not give up easily. That's why Mom trusted you. And that's what makes you the best person to raise Emma, to take care of me and the ranch. You are willing to sacrifice everything for the ones you care about, including your happiness. That is a good thing. But in this case, it isn't, especially if you're allowing it to happen a second time. Because you deserve to be happy, too. You've been given a second chance. Why won't you keep it, fight for it? Don't fight to lose. Fight to win."

Oliver's head hung low. A part of him wanted to believe his sister, but the other part of him wanted to go at it the way he'd done it before and just play it safe instead of taking the risk. If he were to be totally honest, he was more afraid that Felicity would choose Boston instead of him and Emma, than he was to have to be the one to let her go. He wouldn't admit it, but if his motives were scrutinized more carefully, that was basically the reason why he wanted Felicity to accept the promotion, and his sister was on to him.

"Ollie, please consider this before it's too late," Thea pleaded with her brother. "Is it possible that the reason you let Felicity go ten years ago was not really because you wanted her to be happy, but because you thought you didn't deserve to be happy, because you thought you didn't deserve someone like her? Because if that was really why you let her leave before, then you'd be the world's greatest idiot if you let it happen again."

His conversation with Thea at the parking lot of Felicity's apartment building played in his head like a broken record during the lonely four-hour drive home.

* * *

 **A/N: Please don't hate me. This is the last bout of angst in this story, I promise. It's really part of the plot plan.**

 **Just two more chapters, and then we're done. I can't believe that after everything that's happened, I'm still going to get this story done. Thank you so much that you are still following this, especially the Guests and the one who started reading this fic from another site. The response to this fic was both unexpected and overwhelming.**


	24. Chapter 24: Emma's Wisdom

**EMMA**

 **Chapter 24: Emma's Wisdom**

* * *

 **A/N: I couldn't wait another day, so here it is. Happy New Year, everyone!**

 **Also, there is a two-week time gap between the previous chapter and the first part of this one, and then another two weeks between the first part and the second part. I hope that helps.**

* * *

Caitlyn dropped by STAR Labs on a Saturday morning to pick up a file that she wanted to work on but had left on her desk the day before. Due to the turnover of responsibilities and projects that came with her promotion as the soon-to-be Chief of the Biochemistry Division, she had wanted to do some work over the weekend to ensure a smooth transition. She passed by the long hallway on the third floor labs and was surprised to see Felicity there.

"Hey! You're here on a weekend?" Caitlyn asked as she approached Felicity who seemed preoccupied with what she was working on in front of her computer.

"Hi, Cait," Felicity responded, looking up to face her friend. "Yeah, I need to finish up some things for Dr. Wells. He needs my recommendations for possible replacements for my position. Just two weeks to go before I leave for Boston."

"Oh… So, you decided to take the job after all," Caitlyn inferred out loud. "I thought you asked Dr. Wells to give you more time to think about it."

"I did, but then I thought I didn't really need that much time. I spoke with Dr. Wells the other day. I think it's a great opportunity. I have so many ideas for Applied Sciences, and I've always wanted to get a master's degree or two," Felicity said with a half-smile.

"Have you told Emma?" Caitlyn asked inquisitively. She was genuinely concerned. Felicity was more than just a co-worker; she was her best friend. She wasn't about to let her go through heartache all over again, not if she could do something about it. And it wasn't just for Felicity's sake. Caitlyn cared about Emma, too. That little girl had been through enough. She needed her mother just as much as she needed the brother that raised her. Emma needed them _both_.

Felicity sighed. "Yeah, I spoke with her before I made the decision, actually."

"And how did she take it?"

"Not very well, at first. She cried the whole time I was trying to explain the situation. Wouldn't talk to me for days. She said she felt like I was leaving her all over again," Felicity replied sadly.

"Can't blame her for thinking that," Caitlyn remarked.

"I know," said Felicity. "But when I spoke to her again three days ago at the ranch, she seemed to have changed a bit. I think Oliver talked to her about it. I reassured her that living in Boston for a few years did not mean that I was going to disappear completely from her life. We agreed that I'd come home to Starling every Christmas, and for her birthday and mine, and that every spring and summer break she'd come over to Boston and stay with me. That seemed to calm her fears and convince her to let me move, temporarily, of course."

"And Oliver?" Caitlyn asked again, even more curious this time.

"Oh, he's fine with it. He was actually the one that encouraged me to accept the promotion in the first place," Felicity answered, feigning that everything was fine between him and her.

Caitlyn saw right through her friend's façade. "Really…?" she asked in disbelief, her face contorting in more than one way.

"Yes, he even said that I might regret it if I miss this chance."

"O-kay. If you think that's what's best, and your family supports you, then I support you too," Caitlyn told her, giving her a pat on the shoulder. She did, however, go on to say, "Just… be sure you've carefully thought things through and considered the possible repercussions of being so far away from the ones you love. I mean, things have been going so well. I've never seen you this happy in all the years I've known you, Felicity. When I met you in college, you were stuck. But with Oliver and Emma, it's like you've gone two steps forward in the right direction. I don't want to see you go three steps back to the life you had before. You're my friend, and I care about you."

"I know, Cait, and I appreciate that a lot," Felicity acknowledged. She turned her swiveling chair to face her friend and wrap her arms around Caitlyn's midsection. "I'm gonna miss you so much."

"I'm gonna miss you too, Lis. Please think about what I said."

"I will."

When Felicity let go, Caitlyn asked, "So, if you're here today, then it's safe to assume that Oliver and Emma aren't coming over this weekend?"

Felicity nodded. "Oliver texted yesterday morning that he had something important to attend to. For the ranch."

Caitlyn thought it strange. In recent months, they hadn't missed a weekend of their alternate visits. She wanted to explore the topic more, but hesitated. With raised eyebrows, she only said, "I guess I'll see you Monday morning then. Bye, Lis!"

"Bye, Cait! Thanks for dropping by."

Caitlyn left Felicity's computer lab, hoping against hope that her best friend wasn't making a huge mistake that she might regret in the long run.

* * *

"Ollie, when is Mom leaving for Boston?" Emma asked (again).

Oliver sighed. He placed the dirty dishes in the sink and turned around to face the little girl that sat on the kitchen counter with her legs dangling from the edge. "Emma, you've asked me that several times already," he replied, slightly annoyed.

"It's this Friday, right?" she asked, her eyes betraying her sadness.

"Yup, day after tomorrow. Why?" Oliver asked this time.

"You think I could skip school on Friday so _we_ could take her to the airport? I'd really like to send off my mom in person," she requested.

Emma's eyes pleaded with her brother, and Oliver didn't have the heart to say no. He knew that this was hard on Emma as it was on him. They had tried to avoid talking about it too much over the past two weeks since Felicity had finalized her decision, but they could not evade it completely, especially now that Felicity's departure was in just two days.

Oliver nodded as he approached her. "Sure. I'll talk to your teacher tomorrow," he answered.

"Thanks." Emma flashed him a half smile that didn't quite reach her ears.

Oliver could tell that there was something else going on in her above-average mind. So he stopped right in front of her and asked, "Was there something else, Emma?"

Emma shrugged and looked down as tears fell from her eyes. She then leaned forward and hugged Oliver, burying her face in his chest. She shifted the position of her head to the side, so that she could freely speak. "How much did it hurt to say goodbye when Felicity first left?"

Oliver closed his eyes. Of all the questions she could ask, why did it have to be related to the gnawing pain that he'd been trying to ease with work and chores for weeks now?

Stroking her dark brown hair to soothe her, he answered poignantly, "Too much."

Emma was quiet for a moment, trying to process her brother's brief but weighty response. Oliver could practically hear her thinking. Then she pulled back, looked at him stern-faced, and asked frankly, "Then why are you letting it happen again?"

"Emma… It's not that easy."

"Isn't it? Ollie, if it's too painful to let her go, why won't you do anything to stop it? Whenever I get hurt, you're always there to make the pain go away. Whenever I get a boo-boo, you always say you'd kiss it better. I thought you said you'd do everything to protect me, that you'd do anything to make me happy. Well, Mom leaving? It sucks. It hurts. Really bad."

Oliver was impressed at Emma's no-nonsense argument. No one in his right mind consciously and willfully allows himself to get hurt if he could do something about it – that is, no one except him. Still, he stubbornly held his ground against an eight-year-old.

"Felicity leaving isn't going to kill us, Emma," he replied. "We've talked about this before, right? We'll be fine. It used to be just the two of us, remember, even before Aunt Thea came back from college? We can do it again."

Emma was chewing on her lower lip – a habit that made him remember Felicity all the time – because once again she was thinking about what her brother was saying. Her face clearly showed that she was still unconvinced of his argument.

"Maybe we _can_ ," she responded, "but it doesn't mean we _should_. Ollie, I get what you're saying, and I believe you. We can make it, just the two of us, but we won't be fine. We'd be hurting without her close by. Every. Single. Day. Is that what _you_ really want? Coz that's not what _I_ want."

"What I want is for _her_ to be happy."

"I don't think she will be."

"Why not?"

"Because she's already happy here. With us. Over there? There will be no us. So, she won't be happy. If you really want her to be happy, she should be with us. It's that simple," Emma wisely explained.

Emma already had her arms crossed in front of her by the time she was done arguing her point. Now she raised an eyebrow, as she tapped her fingers on her forearms, waiting for him to concede defeat.

Oliver shook his head. He couldn't believe he was losing an argument with an eight-year-old. In a last ditch effort to wiggle his way out of embarrassment, he said to Emma, "It's too late to talk her out of it now. Felicity has already made up her mind."

"Then make her _unmake_ it."

" _Unmake_ is not a word."

"Yes, it is, and I can prove it."

Oliver glared at his little girl and faked anger, but he couldn't keep up the pretense long enough. He knew Emma could see right through him. He shook his head once again and sighed. Emma knew she'd won, and she was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Why did his she have to be so smart? She was Felicity's daughter after all.

He rounded the corner of the kitchen counter and picked up the wireless phone that was on the dining table. Less than a minute later, Emma heard him say, "Hello? Office of Dr. Harrison Wells, please."

Emma was thrilled.

* * *

Felicity was irritated that she hadn't thought about wearing stockings underneath her pencil skirt. It got quite cold in Boston at that time of the year, and she knew that as soon as she steps out of Logan International Airport later that day, her legs would literally start to freeze. The business ensemble she wore and the coat she was bringing wouldn't be enough to keep her lower extremities warm.

She hurriedly put on stockings, but then she noticed that it had a hole at the right heel running up to the back of her right knee. Ugh! The cab taking her to the Central City airport was supposed to arrive any minute. She should have thought of this earlier. She was really out of her element, but in all honesty, it wasn't entirely the fault of her outfit.

Felicity wouldn't admit it even to herself, but she still had second-thoughts about leaving that day. She had gotten Emma to accept the fact that she was leaving, yet her daughter rarely smiled anymore during their video chats in the last couple of weeks. She had Oliver's support, and yet he'd been calling and texting less since she took his suggestion and accepted the promotion. She had scarcely left, but things had already begun to change for the three of them. She didn't think it would weigh her down this much. She just wanted to get to the airport, check in, board the plane, and take off. Maybe when she was already thousands of feet up in the sky headed east, she'd finally feel like she had made the right decision. There really isn't time for regrets at this point. Or is there?

She went back to her dresser and settled for the only pair of stockings left in the top drawer. (The newer and better ones had already been packed in her suitcase, which she had already sent down to the lobby of her apartment building earlier.) She pulled and tugged until the top elastic portion of the stockings reached her hips, and then she went over to the mirror to check if there were no runs or holes along the back of her legs. However, when she stood in front of the mirror, what caught her attention was the faded scar on her lower abdomen that peeked from the edge of her bikini bottom's waistband.

Emma.

Memories of the day she delivered her baby girl into this world came rushing back into her mind. She had been in labor for more than half a day, but the baby wouldn't descend. She had been all alone – no family, no friend to hold her hand when the contractions came, each one more intense than the one before. She was surrounded by nameless doctors and nurses at the hospital where the Steeles had brought her when her water broke in the middle of the night. She'd been so tired, her body racked by excruciating pain. She'd been so scared, especially when the doctor explained to her that they needed to perform an emergency caesarian section to get the baby out before it went into distress. It was a good thing that she had already passed the age of 18, for she had no one to sign consent for surgery if she had still been a minor. Two hours later, Felicity had heard the cry of her newborn, and it was still the most unforgettable sound she'd ever heard in her life. Her baby had been placed on her breast to latch, and she had bonded with her daughter for the first time.

Felicity reminisced how it had felt to hold her tiny daughter in her arms. She remembered thinking how beautiful her baby girl was, how fragile, how precious. She remembered wondering why it had only taken her minutes to learn to love the child. She remembered telling the baby that her name was Emma and getting a cute yawn from her in return as a sign of approval. Sadly, she also remembered sobbing, repeatedly asking her baby to forgive her for what she was about to do, and explaining to an innocent little person why her mother had to give her up, even if she was too young to understand. She remembered crying when she left the baby at the Steeles' who had agreed to provide temporary foster care as approved by the social worker assigned to her case. She remembered trembling when she signed the legal documents later on, yielding her rights and making Emma someone else's child.

Felicity ran her the pads of her fingers along her scar. It had healed, inside and out. It no longer hurt. Sometimes when it was cold, she would feel a slight stinging sensation, reminding her that she once had a wound on that part of her body, but that was it. Now it was just a scar, a reminder that she had survived the sting of the past.

Nine years ago, she had believed that she wasn't capable of taking good care of her daughter because she was irreparably damaged. She had believed that she was not ready, not fit to raise a child on her own. She had believed that Emma would have a better life with adoptive parents who were "stable," and that Emma was better off not knowing where she'd come from. She had believed that giving up her child for adoption was the best solution to her messed up situation, as well as the best option if she were to realize her dreams of making it big someday in the scientific and technological world. On hindsight, she realized that she had been both short-sighted and selfish, and she regretted that.

Nevertheless, Felicity had been miraculously reunited with her child. And after a year of spending time with Emma and getting to know how wonderful her daughter had turned out to be, she realized that she'd been wrong on many counts all along. She was damaged, but not irreparably so. She hadn't been in the best condition to raise a child on her own, but that condition wasn't permanent. Even if Emma did have a good life with the Queens, it didn't mean that she couldn't have had a good one with her birth mother if she had given it a try. Emma became happier with Felicity in her life, and astoundingly, she was better off knowing where she'd come from. It had made her daughter stronger, wiser. Among her many realizations in the past year of helping Oliver raise Emma was that her former insecurities had been unfounded. She _was_ capable of raising, nurturing, and loving a child. She was happiest in life when she shared it with Emma and Oliver.

Oliver.

Nine years ago, she had believed that Oliver would take one good look at her and the baby in her belly and reject _her_ , reject _them_. She had believed that he would accuse her of cheating on him and of not keeping their promise to stay pure until marriage. She had believed that he would never forgive her, like she couldn't forgive herself. Her worst fears had come true. She and Oliver had been separated by for years their mutual inability to deal with conflict and misunderstanding in a mature way.

Nevertheless, Felicity had been mercifully reconciled with the man she loved. And after a year of spending time with Oliver and getting to know how wonderful he had turned out to be, she realized that she had been wrong about him on many counts as well. When she told him the truth about what had happened to her, he was not repulsed by it or by her; on the contrary, he had blamed himself for not being there to protect her and fight for her. Although he had believed for years that she had cheated on him and failed to keep her promise, he humbly apologized and asked her to forgive him. And in spite of everything that had happened to her and between them, he still loved her and wanted a relationship with her.

Felicity ran her the pads of her fingers along her scar once more. It had healed, and it no longer hurt. It was just a scar now – a reminder that she had become stronger and wiser. It was also a symbol of when she first became a mother, and of the hope that she could do it again and make better choices. She might be committed to her career, but she did have dreams of settling down and having a family, too. And she couldn't think of anyone else to be with when that dream came true but Oliver.

Oliver was the love of her life. Emma was the light of her life. She had just discovered what those meant, and she was happy. So, why was she leaving again?

Felicity hastily put on the rest of her clothes. By the time she made it to the lobby of her building, the cab pulled up on the curb. Leaving her luggage inside the building, she ran outside and spoke with the cab driver. "Uhm, I'm afraid there's been a change in plans. Please take me to STAR Labs instead."

* * *

 **A/N: Final chapter coming soon. It will have two parts - the conclusion and the epilogue. Thank you so much for sticking with this story. I hope it has touched your heart and maybe even taught you some lessons along the way. This has been quite a journey. It's bittersweet that it's about to end.**


	25. Chapter 25: The Proposals

**EMMA**

 **Chapter 25: The Proposals**

* * *

 **A/N: Here it is, friends - the final chapter with an epilogue, which is why it is the longest chapter in this fic. I truly hope you enjoy the Olicity endgame, as promised. There are at least four proposals in this chapter; I hope you'll be able to keep up. ;-)**

* * *

Dr. Wells quietly listened to him speak his mind, speak his heart. Oliver had been at it for a while now, and he appreciated that Felicity's boss had agreed to give him a few minutes of his precious time that morning.

After his talk with Emma the other day, he had called STAR Labs and requested for an appointment with Dr. Harrison Wells. He had wanted to speak with him about Felicity's promotion. The executive assistant had said that Dr. Wells' schedule the following day Thursday could not accommodate him, so he had settled for a Friday morning appointment, which gave him barely enough time before Felicity was scheduled to fly to Boston. Yet, he had been desperate, so he had taken the nine o'clock slot, which was the only thing open for that day.

Oliver had picked up Emma from school Thursday afternoon. They had gone on the long drive and stayed the night at Thea's, whom he had sworn to secrecy about why he and Emma had come to Central City so suddenly. The next morning, he and Emma had gotten up and ready very early, heading straight to STAR Labs right after breakfast. He couldn't leave Emma alone in the apartment because Thea had work, so he'd brought her with him. While waiting for them to be called at the lounge area of Dr. Wells' office, Oliver had realized that it was indeed better for Emma to have tagged along so that they could go straight to the airport to send off Felicity, just in case things with Dr. Wells did not go as he'd planned.

Just in case. Oliver did not want to think about his plan failing. It couldn't.

He knew that it had been a bold move on his part to speak with Felicity's boss and esteemed mentor, especially since he wasn't a spouse or a fiancé. He wasn't even sure if he could be called her boyfriend once again, since their recently revived relationship was now stuck in limbo because of her move to Boston. When he thought about it, they hadn't even talked about the status of their relationship since their argument in the car after the banquet about a month ago. They'd both been evading the issue and avoiding confronting each other about it (like the childish adolescents that they had been), and it was about time that he did something about it.

Of course, Felicity was the one that he really needed to have a serious talk with. However, Oliver figured that he had better chances of convincing her to change her mind about leaving (which was actually his not-so-brilliant idea in the first place) if he was in a position to offer her an alternative. And for that, he needed the help and support of Dr. Wells.

From his encounter with Dr. Wells at the banquet, Oliver had formed an opinion about the man based on first impressions. Combined with Felicity's many anecdotes about him, those first impressions had led him to the conclusion that Dr. Wells was an approachable man despite his stature and hectic schedule; thus, he had braved this meeting instead of backing out. He'd also thought that Dr. Wells cared genuinely about Felicity, his protégée, so he had counted on the man to at least listen to what he wanted to say, for her sake, because he believed that they both wanted what was best for her. Oliver was gunning for a win-win situation, and he had prayed with all his heart while waiting that heaven heard his heart's cry.

Dr. Wells had been listening to him speak for the last ten minutes and had not once interrupted him. The man was a focused listener and a keen observer. However, Dr. Wells was way too quiet for Oliver's liking, and the expression on the man's face was unreadable. Oliver was beginning to worry that Dr. Wells was not seeing things his way.

First, Oliver had thanked Dr. Wells and the company for recognizing and rewarding Felicity's hard work and loyalty with a promotion and a study grant, elaborating that a career in science and technology had been Felicity's childhood dream. Then, he had confessed to Dr. Wells that he had been the one that had convinced her to accept the promotion and its conditions even if she had originally wanted to stay close to her family, especially now that she had just been reunited with her daughter and reconciled with him. He had also been quick to present the possibility of her still getting promoted without being sent to Boston, seeing that she was a brilliant woman who would do a commendable job in any capacity, for as long as she stays in the company that she loved. He reiterated that Felicity would always be committed to doing projects for the greater good because she believed that science and technology were supposed to make people's lives better.

Without Dr. Wells asking, Oliver continued to argue his case by adding that, while Felicity deserved significant career advancement and better financial compensation because of her brilliance, hard work, dedication, and invaluable contributions to STAR Labs for the last seven years, she also deserved to be happy. He concluded by saying that he believed she would be happiest where her family was, and her family was here.

As Oliver wrapped up his speech, Dr. Wells was still attentively listening to him. The intellectual genius leaned forward in his cushioned leather chair behind his desk, elbows resting on top of his mahogany desk. His chin rested on his entwined fingers, and his gaze on Oliver was locked solid. A minute or two of silence passed between them, but Oliver had held his breath in anxious anticipation.

Finally, Dr. Wells spoke. "Mr. Queen, don't you think it is a little too late for us to be having this conversation? Ms. Smoak's plane leaves in…" He looks at his smart wristwatch. "…about three hours. I was under the impression that she had already made up her mind."

It was a fair point for Dr. Wells to raise, Oliver thought. Yet, he still replied, "I believe there's no harm in trying, sir. I've got too much at stake."

"Hmm…" Dr. Wells leaned back in his chair and touched his chin. "I also do not appreciate unsolicited advice from someone who is not even an employee, or whom I have just very recently met and consider a casual acquaintance," said Dr. Wells.

Oliver swallowed hard and his eyes widened in utter humiliation. His heart began to pound in his chest. "What in the world did I just do?" he thought to himself. This was not going his way.

"But," added Dr. Wells, "I do appreciate and admire someone who speaks his mind so passionately, and knows how to fight for the best interests of the one he cares about. Mr. Queen, in this day and age, there are very few people like you who can discern what really matter in this life, and even fewer who are willing to make sacrifices or take calculated risks like the one you just took today. I must say, Ms. Smoak is very fortunate to have you on her side."

Stunned, all Oliver was able to say was, "Thank you, Dr. Wells." He wasn't exactly sure yet what the man with a classic poker face was trying to say.

"I'll tell you what," Dr. Wells continued. "If you aren't in a hurry, you can wait outside while I make an important phone call. I have an idea that might just work to give you what you want, Felicity what she deserves, and my company what it needs." And there it was, after almost twenty minutes of talk, a winsome smile broke out on the man's face.

* * *

Felicity thought that this particular elevator ride was taking longer than usual. On her way to STAR Labs, she had phoned Dr. Wells' assistant, and she had confirmed that he was in his office. She wasn't on his schedule for the day, but she had convinced his assistant to give her five minutes of his time as soon as his nine o'clock appointment was done. Just before the elevator dinged to the executive floor, Felicity looked at her watch. It was twenty minutes past nine. She hoped she didn't have to wait outside his office too long.

She stepped out of the elevator and navigated her way into the reception area of Dr. Wells' office. She was very much surprised to find Emma, of all people, sitting there, staring at the clock on the wall with an anxious expression on her face.

"Emma? What are you doing here?" Felicity asked her little girl.

The girl's face lit up when she recognized her mother. "Mom!" They hugged, and then Emma asked, "What are _you_ doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at the airport by now? Have you changed your mind about leaving?"

"Yes," Felicity replied confidently and sweetly, as she smiled at Emma, who grinned more widely with glee. "And you? Why are you here? Who's with you?"

Before Emma could answer her questions, the door of Dr. Wells' office opened. Felicity stood frozen on the spot, her eyes widening in astonishment as she watched Oliver shake hands with her boss. What in the world was going on?

"Oliver?" She did not even know that she had spoken his name.

"Ms. Smoak! So good you decided to drop by," Dr. Wells acknowledged her presence. "Mr. Queen and I were just discussing some things that concern you."

"Oh, really…?" she responded, not quite sure if that was a good thing or not.

Dr. Wells looked at her and Oliver and said, "If you two could wait out here for a few minutes, that would be great. I just need to make a quick phone call, and then I'll have my assistant send you back in. Okay?"

Felicity nodded, not quite sure of what to say. She was completely flabbergasted. She had come to STAR Labs to speak with Dr. Wells, to inform him that she had changed her mind about taking the promotion and moving to Boston. She wasn't expecting to find Oliver and Emma there. And why had he been talking to Dr. Wells about her on the day that she was supposed to be leaving already?

"Okay. Thank you again, Dr. Wells," Oliver replied for the both of them.

Dr. Wells went back into his office and closed the door behind him.

"Oliver, what's going on?" Felicity asked him, glaring at him to get the answer she needed.

"I don't know yet."

"What do you mean you don't know? You're the one who's been in there talking to my boss about me for the last how many minutes!"

"I meant that I don't know what Dr. Wells is trying to do and why he's asking us to wait," Oliver answered. "But if you're asking about why I am here…"

Emma stood up and butted in unexpectedly, "Ollie came to ask Dr. Wells to help him change your mind about going away. But I guess that doesn't matter now, does it? Since you've already decided to stay." Emma beamed at them both, ecstatic that things were going to work out for them after all.

Oliver turned to Felicity so swiftly he thought he was going to get whiplashed. Had he heard Emma correctly?

"Felicity…?"

Felicity loved the way he spoke her name. Since the moment she had first realized that she was falling for her best friend, she'd heard him utter her name in a hundred different ways, and she had loved every single one of them. The nuances in the way every syllable left his lips had always reflected his state of mind, his feelings, and his intentions. Right now, he was asking her a question, but if she was reading him correctly, he was asking with a mixture of bewilderment and excitement, which he was trying his hardest to contain. His brows were furrowed in confusion, but his blue eyes sparkled in wonderment and anticipation.

Felicity turned to face him and smiled, shyly at first. She knew he could already tell what the answer to his question was, just by looking into her eyes, but she wanted to make it official. She touched Oliver's forearm and said to him, "I can't do it, Oliver. I'm not leaving anymore."

"Really?" he asked to confirm that he had heard her right.

She nodded. "You know how you said that you just wanted me to be happy? Well, the thing is, as long as you and Emma are in my life, I am. I don't really care about the promotion. I mean, I do, but _not_ as much as I care about you and our little girl."

Oliver's heart soared when he heard her refer to Emma as 'their little girl.'

Felicity went on to say, "The raise, the position, the scholarship – they pale in comparison to the life I now have with the two of you. I've walked away from you both before, and I've lived with some pretty ugly consequences. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice."

She felt him tuck a stray strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, and then the back of his hand caressed her cheek – all the while his gaze fixed on her face. With conviction, she ended her speech by telling him, "I'm not going anywhere. I'm glue, baby."

Oliver was rendered speechless, but his body was responding to the joy that was flooding his heart. His eyes glistening with unshed tears, Oliver took one last step to close the gap between them. He leaned forward to give her a kiss, but the moment was suddenly interrupted by the voice of Dr. Wells' assistant approaching.

"Mr. Queen, Ms. Smoak, Dr. Wells says you may go inside now," the short, red-haired woman said with a smile.

"Thank you," Felicity said to the woman, who immediately turned around and went back to where she came from.

Oliver turned to Emma. "Okay, young lady, you have to sit back down and wait some more. Can you do that? Felicity and I will go talk to Dr. Wells. Keep your fingers crossed, kiddo," he said with a wink at the end.

Emma grinned. "It'll all work out, big brother." The little girl kissed her older brother on the cheek and then went back to her seat.

* * *

Dr. Wells was standing by the floor-to-ceiling glass wall that gave his room a clear view of the city. He had his back turned against them as they entered the room.

"You called for us, Dr. Wells?" Felicity asked, causing her boss to turn around.

"Oh, yes. Please, come in," said Dr. Wells. "Please, sit down. I have good news."

Oliver and Felicity looked at each other as they took seats in front of the huge mahogany desk.

"Ms. Smoak, as you may know by now, Mr. Queen asked to speak with me today to get me to find another way to keep you here. Apparently, this young man right here isn't willing to let you go," Dr. Wells said.

Oliver looked down to hide the blush on his cheeks, slightly embarrassed at Dr. Wells' candidness. Felicity, on the other hand, wondered whether or not she was right in sensing a hint of teasing in his voice and on his face. That was something totally foreign to Dr. Wells, at least, based on how she had known her mentor all these years.

Dr. Wells shifted his gaze to Oliver and said, "I was just on the phone with my very good friend and colleague, Dr. Christina McGee. Fortunately, she and I have come to the conclusion that Ms. Smoak would be a valuable key player in the upcoming merger between Mercury Labs and STAR Labs."

Felicity's eyes grew bigger at the mention of Dr. McGee and Mercury Labs. The well-renowned scientist had had her eye on Felicity for years, and had, on more than one occasion during science and tech conventions, hinted that she had wanted to offer Felicity a job. Mercury Labs was established about a decade before STAR Labs and quite reputable, so Felicity had thought it quite flattering that the woman had thought very highly of her and her work with facial recognition softwares. However, Felicity loved her job at STAR Labs and valued the mentorship of Dr. Wells, so she had turned down Dr. McGee's offers each time.

"A merger?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes," answered Dr. Wells. "I wasn't at liberty to announce it during the anniversary banquet last month because the proposals and negotiations were still in the works. But the deal was closed last week, Felicity."

"Wow," she said, "that is such good news! Two of the scientific community's best minds under one prestigious roof. That's just awesome!"

"Here's even better news," Dr. Wells said with a smile directed at Felicity. "You're not going to Boston anymore, but you are still getting your promotion as Director of Applied Sciences… on loan to Mercury Labs… while the details of the merger as still being ironed out. Dr. McGee needs someone she can trust to make sure that the on-going and upcoming projects in their Applied Sciences Division make a smooth transition with ours."

"What does this mean?" Felicity asked, unsure of what the implications of this new development are to her personal life.

"Felicity, the main office and laboratories of the Applied Sciences Division of Mercury Labs aren't in Central City," explained Dr. Wells. The glint in his eye hinted that she was going to like what he was about to say. "You are being reassigned to Hope Springs, for good, since we are moving our Applied Sciences Division there as well once the merger is completed." Dr. Wells ended with a decisive nod in Oliver's direction.

Hope Springs. The city was just a 45-minute drive north from Starling Town, in the opposite direction of Central City. Felicity thought that Hope Springs was perfect. So did Oliver.

"I'll take it, sir," Felicity exclaimed excitedly, standing from her seat. "Thank you, thank you very much!" If she hadn't thought it inappropriate, she would have run to her boss and given him a tight hug to show how grateful she was that he had found a way for her. For them.

Oliver was also up on his feet now, standing next to her. He took her hand and squeezed it eagerly. "Thank you, Dr. Wells. This is… This is so much more than I ever expected. Thank you!" he said.

Dr. Wells stood up behind his desk and replied, "You are most welcome. Now, I have an important meeting with the Board that's supposed to start in a few minutes. So, if you two would kindly excuse me, I shall head to the conference room now and have the corporate secretary add two more items to the agenda – changing the terms of your promotion, and convincing the Board to push through with your study grant, but this time at Hope Springs Institute of Technology. Please, feel free to stay in my office a while longer. I'm sure you two have a lot to take in." The man smiled at them once more and left.

* * *

Oliver and Felicity heaved sighs at the same time as soon as the door closed. They still couldn't believe what happened. He enveloped her in an embrace just as she turned to face him. Her arms tightened around his midsection as he nuzzled her hair and rubbed her back.

After a minute, Felicity pulled back and said to him with glassy eyes, "I can't believe it! I was ready to lose the promotion and the scholarship, if it meant I could stay. Be with you. And Emma."

Oliver replied, "Instead, we're getting everything we've ever hoped for. Finally."

She nodded her head several times. She was much too overwhelmed to say anything more.

"You called me 'baby' a while ago," he said to her, grinning like a love-struck fool. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

"M-hmm…" she replied, nodding her head twice. "I recall telling you that the next time I have to leave again, you should come after me. And you did."

"But you didn't leave."

"Nope," she said, shaking her head. "Not this time, and not ever."

Oliver kissed her nose. "I'm so glad to hear that. I'm never ever going to let you go, Felicity. You've always been 'the one' for me. You are the love of my life."

Felicity smiled affectionately as she said, "I love you, Oliver."

"I love you," he told her just before he captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

* * *

 **Epilogue**

"That is the best birthday gift ever!" Emma all but squealed, bouncing on their bed with glee.

"Okay, take it easy, Emma," Oliver told her. "Your mother is still on bed rest, and we don't want your little brother to get dizzy."

"Babies don't get dizzy in the womb. Do they, Mom?" the ten-year-old genius asked.

Felicity just smiled. "I'm the one getting dizzy, honey, so stop bouncing." She was just six weeks pregnant but had experienced premature contractions the previous week, so the doctor had put her on temporary bed rest. Nothing too serious.

"So, you're really my mom and dad now? For real?" Emma asked enthusiastically.

"Yes, we are," Oliver answered.

"Cool!" exclaimed Emma. She threw her arms around Oliver and kissed his cheek, and then she crawled over to Felicity, wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulder, and kissed her cheek as well.

Oliver and Felicity had just told her the good news that her adoption papers had finally been signed by the judge in Starling Town. This was truly an answer to prayer.

When Felicity moved to Hope Springs and started work in the Applied Sciences Division two years ago, she and Oliver had started dating while continuing on co-parenting Emma. After a few months, she and Oliver had started talking about Emma's legal status. She loved her daughter, and she really didn't need a piece of paper to make their relationship legitimate. But she had started thinking long-term, and Oliver had agreed. Emma was growing up fast; they needed to set her affairs in order to prepare her for her future, especially since Oliver knew that his legal guardianship of Emma automatically ended when she turned eighteen. She needed parents as far as the law was concerned.

Oliver hadn't wanted to remain just her legal guardian forever. He had wanted her to become officially his, because he loved her and he loved her mother. Thus, he had consulted Jean Loring for legal counsel, and the woman explained to him that he had two options.

The first option was for him to resign as Emma's legal guardian and then adopt her later, but that would put Emma in the foster care system for as long as no relative came forward to assume guardianship. Jean advised against it, because the legal and administrative procedures often take time. Oliver didn't want Emma to have to be in foster care indefinitely; it was out of the question.

The second option was to go straight from legal guardianship into legal adoption, but that entailed one or both of the Emma's biological parents signing an independent adoption consent. Since Emma's birth mother had already given up her rights when she signed the adoption papers years ago and had lost any legal or custodial rights over her child, and since Moira Queen, her adoptive mother, was already deceased, it was up to the court to decide. Oliver liked that option better.

Jean, however, had given him a third option. She had explained that Oliver can opt to remain Emma's legal guardian, marry Felicity, and then they could adopt her together, as husband and wife, before she turned eighteen. Oliver had had no qualms about going for it. As their family attorney, Jean had warned him that the process might be a bit tricky but not improbable. The judge that will handle the case might even consider it quite an exception, because in this particular scenario, the woman that would seek to adopt Emma was actually her biological mother, whose rights to her child had already been relinquished when she gave up Emma for adoption years ago. But Jean assured him that all they needed to do was present evidence that Felicity already had her life in order and was now able to provide her daughter with a stable environment, and that it was in the best interests of Emma to grow up in a loving home where her adoptive parents happened to be her adoptive older brother and her biological mother.

So, on the day that Oliver got down on his knee and presented Felicity with his mother's ring, he had expressed two proposals. He had first asked her to marry him, and then he asked her to adopt Emma with him after they're married. "Yes! Yes!" Felicity had cried out, teary-eyed and overjoyed. Emma had also been there when Oliver proposed under their tree in the woods near the ranch, and she had taken the groupie of her with the happy couple showing off the engagement, which was now among the framed photographs on the spinet piano in the den of their house in Queen Ranch.

Six months after their wedding and honeymoon, Oliver and Felicity had begun the process of adopting Emma. The process had been slow, and they had had to appear in court quite a few times. Emma also had gotten to meet with the judge, and she had had her chance to tell the old man who held her future in his hands that Felicity was the best mother anyone could hope to have. She had told the judge how grateful she was that God had brought her birth mother back into her life. Moreover, she had begged the judge to let them be a real family. Another six months later, the judge had decided in their favor at last. Jean Loring had informed Oliver and Felicity of the court's decision a week ago, but they had decided to defer telling Emma about it until her tenth birthday as a surprise.

* * *

"Good night, Emma," Felicity said, kissing her daughter's head and giving her a hug.

"Good night, Mom..." Emma replied, and then turned to Oliver, "…and Dad." She made sure to emphasize the last three words.

Oliver kissed the top of Emma's head and pulled her up from their king-sized bed. "Don't forget to say your prayers."

"I won't," Emma replied, as she blew her parents a good-night kiss from the doorway. And then, all they could hear were her footsteps and the shutting of her bedroom door.

"Mom and Dad… I could get used to that," Felicity remarked, smiling at Oliver.

"Me, too, honey. Me, too," said Oliver, as he joined her on the bed.

Spooning her and pulling the soft, fluffy duvet over them, he peppered her shoulder and the crook of her neck with kisses. He had discovered during their wedding night and their subsequent honeymoon that cuddling together this way was one of Felicity's favorite things. Her past trauma hadn't really affected their intimacy; Felicity had always felt safe, loved, and pleasured whenever they came together. Since they'd gotten married, they had usually alternated positions when they snuggled together, but now her baby bump made it hard for her to be the one behind him. His hand caressed the portion where her stomach bulged, loving how he was beginning to feel their baby moving inside her.

"Pretty soon, there'll be two of them calling us that," Oliver added.

"Yeah, I can't wait to meet William," Felicity told him.

"William?" he asked, surprised. "When did you decide that, if I may ask?"

She chuckled. "The day Jean came with Emma's papers signed by the judge," she answered. "The judge's second name was William. I thought it was fitting to name our son William Jonas Queen. What do you think?"

"I think I like William Jonas Queen," he answered with a smile.

"I thought you would."

Felicity turned and lay on her back. Oliver lifted his head and propped himself up with his elbow. With his free hand still on her baby bump, they kissed each other good night.

 **THE END**

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you very much for coming along on this amazing journey with me. I am so happy that I got to finish this fic. Really. Thank you for putting up with the extended angst. Thank you for the reviews, constructive comments, and lovely words of encouragement that kept me going even when times got hard and I almost quit on this fic entirely. As it is time to bid farewell to this story, I hope that, if you have any positive feedback left to tell, you would do so. I surely appreciate them, no matter how short. Let me know if you've enjoyed or appreciated this, and why.**

 **This is especially important to me because EMMA will be the last fic I will be posting before I close my account here at FF. As some of you may know, I have also stopped posting in another site and am about to close my account there as well, as soon as a handful of the stories I am following are completed. After three years of wonderful experiences with fanfiction, I am turning another page and moving on with my life, seeking to expand my reading and writing beyond this genre, and I expect to be busy with new commitments related to this. So, if there's anything you would like me to know about EMMA or my other stories, or my writing in general, I truly would appreciate knowing. I'm giving it 2 weeks before I close both accounts. I'll understand if some of you will feel sad about this news, but I have made my decision and I am standing by it. I am not closing my doors to writing fanfiction in the future; maybe then I will come back with a different username (or not), if circumstances in my life change. We'll see. ;-)**

 **As such, I would like to thank all of you my dear readers - those who have read my other stories or even just this one (including anonymous Guests) - for how you have enriched my life and helped me grow in my writing. I will never forget this, never forget you (especially those that have become my virtual friends in this site and the other one). Shoutouts to some of the avid readers of my fics - alayneni, mjf2468, Toodles147, weird-but-wonderful, KasumisMom, Mione-angra, malafle, highlander348, CaptainSammyAngel, bahall1964, Ficwriter93, kitsune2077, kiaraj0222, pacuna1502 - just some from off the top of my head. (I'm really sorry if I missed anyone.)**

 **Again, THANK YOU so much, from the bottom of my heart. I am holding back the tears...**

 **Farewell!**


End file.
